But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part
of the earth. (Acts 1:8, KJV).
The baptism of the Holy Ghost is just as much a part of the Bible as the New Birth. Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received power and then to begin to preach the Gospel. If you haven't received the Holy Ghost, ask the Lord to fulfill His promise to you and baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire. The open your mouth and begin to speak in unknown languages by the inspiration of the Spirit.
This is the original gift that the church received on Pentecost in Acts 2. He said that the same thing will happen to you. You'll be filled with the Spirit, and you'll speak in unknown languages as the Spirit enables you. You'll then have power to live the Christian life and to be a witness for the Lord.
We use the terms "Holy Ghost" and "Holy Spirit" interchangeably. "Holy Ghost" is the rendering in the King James version. "Holy Spirit" is used in the modern translations. Both are accurate and acceptable.
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be
clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will
I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit
will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out
of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will
put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes,
and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (Ezekiel 36:25-27,
KJV).
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16, KJV).
One of the most tremendous truths of the Bible is that God lives in the believer. The Holy Spirit has come to take up residence in the life of every born again child of God. When we talk about the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost) we are talking about a deeper dimension of the working of the Spirit of God. It is an immersion of the Spirit as an endowment of power for service.
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:10-14, KJV).
Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit. It is the life of the Spirit through the New Birth. The Spirit giveth life.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9, KJV).
Here again, Jesus is talking about the New Birth-the Spirit of Christ is within the believer. Some say unless you speak with tongues, you don't have the Spirit or you are not saved, but this is not true.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11, KJV).
Mortal means subject to death. The Holy Spirit brings life to the body you have now.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (Romans 8:12-16, KJV).
In salvation, the Holy Spirit is working to help you mortify the sinful deeds of the body and to lead and guide you. He comes as the Spirit of Adoption and bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (assurance of salvation). The Holy Spirit is involved in every born again believer's life.
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood
and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and
drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out
of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake
he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive:
for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not
yet glorified.) (John 7:37-39, KJV).
A well provides sustenance, but a river has a much greater potential. John 4 speaks of a well, enough to satisfy your soul; John 7 speaks of a river to flow out of you to minister to the world. A river has the potential to power entire cities with hydroelectric power. Let's tap into the full potential of the mighty river of God. It is power to be a witness. God wants everyone to have this power. When you have the Baptism of the Holy Ghost you have a river within you ready to flow out and set people free.
If you were the general of a great army and you could have 10 percent of your army equipped with a special weapon or you could have 100 percent equipped, which would you prefer? God wants his army armed and ready.
Because of this power, Pentecostal and Charismatic churches are the fastest growing churches worldwide.This is because of the power of God that is manifested to be a witness. Jesus is demonstrating Himself through His body, you. The river is flowing; God is moving!
Receiving Baptism of the Holy Ghost in the book of Acts
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that
they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise
of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John
truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy
Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:4-5, KJV).
Earlier He had told His disciples:
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7, KJV).
Jesus was saying, "In a few days you're going to receive this promise."
But ye shall receive power (dumanus, dynamite), after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8, KJV).
If the only vision we have is our own area, we don't have the mind of God. He said that we would be witnesses in "Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, AND the uttermost part of the earth." We need to be about the Father's business of bringing deliverance into the earth.
The purpose of the Holy Ghost is to bring power into your life, not so you can brag about speaking in tongues. He gives us power to lay hands on the sick and drive out demons. Rivers of living water from the throne of God flow through you: through your mouth when you speak, through your hands when you pray. His power emanates out of you.
You can release the anointing of God through the laying on of hands. Peter had the glory of God upon him, the effulgence of the Spirit. People were healed by his shadow when he walked by on the streets. You, too, are carriers of the presence of God wherever you go.
Evangelist Charles Finney walked into a factory and a woman began weeping and crying for forgiveness because of the anointing of the Spirit that he carried. The supervisor stopped all the work and said it's time for a meeting. Charles Finney was baptized in the Holy Spirit, as were many of the men who were founders of the mainline denominations.
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4, KJV).
Notice, they did the speaking. The Holy Spirit gave the inspiration. The Holy Spirit came upon them and they began to speak in tongues. This is the initial evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. If you will yield to that inspiration, you too, can speak in an unknown tongue.
Jesus was crucified during the Jewish feast of Passover. The Holy Ghost was poured out during the Feast of Pentecost. The power of the Holy Spirit has been in the earth and in the church ever since. He is ready today to fill and empower you.
For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: (Acts 2:15-19, KJV).
The Holy Ghost did not create a bless me club. Once they were filled, the next thing you know they were out on the streets. He gave us power to evangelize. People thought they were drunk, but they seized the opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. (Acts 2:38-39, KJV).
The teaching is that this promise would continue to all generations in all places, until the end of the age.
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Acts 8:12, KJV).
Philip went down to Samaria and preached by the power of the Holy Spirit. Many were healed and delivered and accepted Christ.
Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. (Acts 8:14-17, KJV).
The apostles thought it was so important that these believers receive the Holy Spirit, that they made a special trip. When they laid hands on them, they received.
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (Acts 10:38, KJV).
The power of God that operated in Jesus' life was the same anointing that is available to us today. It enabled him to "go about doing good, and healing. . ." This what it will do for you as well.
While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? (Acts 10:44-47, KJV).
They recognized that they had received the Holy Ghost because they spoke in tongues. They were baptized in the Holy Ghost while they heard the Word. The Bible evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. They were then water baptized.
And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. (Acts 19:1-6, KJV).
Paul encouraged them in what they had, but he encouraged them to continue on into the fullness. Too often we are ready to criticize people's religion. Paul, however, built upon what they already had and added to them. They readily received his message and were baptized. He then laid hands on them and they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues and prophesied.
In every example of people receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts except Acts 8, the Bible clearly states that they spoke in other tongues, except in Acts 8 at Samaria. No doubt they also spoke in tongues there, although the Bible doesn't specifically say so. However, something happened to the believers in Samaria that was so dramatic that someone was willing to pay to have the power to impart the gift to others.
Speaking in tongues is one of the most controversial and confusing
topics for many people in the Body of Christ. However, if we will
let the scriptures teach us the truth, we will clearly understand
this powerful gift and its function in the church of Jesus Christ.
Tongues are supernatural utterance in another language, heavenly or earthly. The gift of tongues is used by God in four different ways to edify the church and to enhance His work on the earth:
1. Praying in other tongues for personal edification (1 Cor.
14:2,4)
2. Praying in tongues with deep intercessional groanings. (Romans
8:26-27)
3. Speaking an unknown language that is understood by the hearer.
(Acts 2:7-8)
4. Speaking in an unknown language, prompting an interpretation,
for the purpose of edifying the church. (1 Cor. 12:10, 1 Cor.
14:13)
If we do not understand these distinctions, it is easy to become
confused about the role of tongues in the church. For the purpose
of this study, we will focus primarily on the first area, tongues
for personal edification.
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, (Jude 1:20, KJV).
We need to pray in the Spirit, so that the anointing will be strong in our life. Praying in the Spirit enhances the anointing. The baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in other tongues brings a release to the gifts of the spirit in our lives.
A certain evangelist had some gifts in his life before he spoke in tongues, but these gifts came forth in a much stronger way afterwards. A pastor had preached with the anointing previous to receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, but after he received the gift and began to speak with tongues, people started to ask him, "What happened to you? You are preaching with much more power." He had not told them that he had been baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. (1 Corinthians 14:1-4, KJV).
Prophecy is a gift given for the edification (building up) of the church; tongues are given for the edification (building up) of the individual. Praying in tongues for personal edification is given for your personal devotional life. You are speaking in an unknown or heavenly language.
When you pray in tongues, you are not speaking unto man. This is why in the service, if we pray in tongues, it will normally be quietly and to our self. We are speaking unto God, and unless it is interpreted, it is not understood.
We are edified by praying in tongues because we are speaking mysteries. God is revealing hidden secrets to us by His Spirit. This is why he said "building yourself up in your most holy faith." Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) When we pray in the Spirit, we are receiving divine revelation.
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. (1 Corinthians 14:14-15, KJV).
Praying in an unknown tongues is not praying something from your mind. Your spirit (the hidden man of the heart) is doing the praying, bypassing the mind. Paul said that he would do both. He said, "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding." He choose by an act of his will, to pray in tongues and to pray in his native language (the understanding). You also may make this choice to pray with your spirit and with the understanding once you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: (1 Corinthians 14:18, KJV).
Paul was teaching the Corinthians about the misuse of tongues in the public assembly. They were speaking in tongues and forgetting about the teaching of the Word. And yet in Paul's own private devotional life, he spoke in tongues more than any of them.
This is because speaking in tongues is a constant source of refreshing, edification, revelation knowledge and increase of the anointing in your life. As you pray in tongues more and more, the Word of God will come alive and you will begin to see truths that you have never seen before. The other gifts of the Spirit will begin to flow and God's Holy Spirit working in your human spirit will begin to dominate your life. By praying in tongues you are choosing to allow this process to take place.
Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:39-40, KJV).
Enjoy the blessing of speaking in other tongues and desire to be used in the other gifts. Keep everything in order and this gift will be a blessing in your life and in the church.
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father,
will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish
give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him
a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts
unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11:11-13, KJV).
When you're born again, you're qualified to receive the Holy Spirit.
If you are born again, the only thing you need to do is to ask. When you ask, then believe that you receive. this is called receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit by faith. Jesus taught this principle of receiving things from him by faith. He said:
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (Mark 11:24, KJV).
Once in a service I was ministering the baptism of the Holy Spirit. A woman who had not previously spoken in other tongues came forward and also a man. The woman began to speak before I prayed for her. The man, however, did not receive, even after lengthy prayer. He then looked at me and said, "I can't speak in tongues." I told him that this was his problem. He was not believing. He was confessing contrary to faith. As I explained this he suddenly understood that he was not in faith on this subject and he began to change his confession. "I believe I receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and I can speak in tongues."
A day or two later he received the gift while driving to work. Glory to God!
Besides faith, the other real key to receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in other tongues is "yieldedness." You must yield yourself to the moving of the Spirit. This is more difficult for some people than others, according to your nature. . . but as you yield you will experience the mighty flow of the river of God in your life.
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all
that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save
yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly
received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added
unto them about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:39-41, KJV).
Peter said that this message of forgiveness and empowerment was for everyone, including children, and including people from every nation and culture.
In other words, this message is for YOU!
God wants you to enjoy the fullness of His blessings through Jesus Christ. He wants you to be forgiven, cleansed and full of the Holy Ghost. You don't have to twist His arm and talk Him into doing these things. He's already made the way through Jesus Christ and the work of the cross.
Peter said "save yourself" from this crooked generation. How do you "save yourself?" By repenting, being baptized and being full of the Holy Ghost, and then by living a holy life. In other words, stop acting like the rest of the world.