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Were the Spiritual gifts just for the first church? Of course not! Nowhere does Scripture support such a claim.

Many of the mainline denominations today teach that the gifts of the Spirit passed away with the last apostle, the completion of the New Testament, etc. The main Scripture they use to try to support this claim is in First Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 13:8-10
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

They try to say that the perfect mentioned in verse 10 is the Bible. Well, of course the Bible is perfect, but it is not the perfect talked about in this verse.

God was telling us through Paul that the gifts of the Spirit will cease when Jesus Christ returns. The perfect mentioned in verse 10 is when we shall be made perfect in Christ.

1 Corinthians 13:12
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

We see that this Scripture says that when these verses are completed, we will see Jesus face to face. It is only logical to assume that if the Bible is the perfect mentioned in First Corinthians 13:10, then we should see Jesus face to face, and we should know even as we are known, knowledge should cease (v.8), etc. because we have the Bible.

Of course we still see through a dark glass. People still distort doctrines, and people still misunderstand God.

The Bible has not taken the place of spiritual gifts. The Bible and spiritual gifts work together. Spiritual gifts will end at the second coming of Christ to Earth. When Jesus returns we will not need the gifts of healing (1 Corinthians 12:9), because everyone will be healthy in heaven. We will not need prophecies, or the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:10). All the spiritual gifts are for us to use in the battle to win lost souls for Christ and to edify us and the body of Christ in order to fight the good fight of faith.

God did not explain spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12), regulate them (1 Corinthians 13-14), and then take them away once His Book (the Bible) which contained His regulations of the spiritual gifts was completed. This is absurd and misses the point of God giving us the New Testament in the first place. If you assert that He gave the Bible only to then take away the spiritual gifts He mentions that belong to New Testament believers, then you are charging God with folly, for before believers could benefit from the undrstanding of the regulation and operation of these gifts He would have already taken them away!

In today's world, many cults have a lot of supernatural activity. The cults have a lot of "healing" activity. The cults have "miracles." Why should the church of Jesus Christ have less power on Earth than the cults' devilish power? The church should not have less power, because Jesus has given us power.

When the church preaches the gospel, it should have signs following. Why? Because Jesus said that signs would follow those who were believers.

Mark 16:17-18
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Obviously some signs should follow believers when they preach the gospel. Jesus wants us to have power in our evangelism. He wants us to have signs follow us, and not for us to follow signs. God's desire is for the church to have Holy Ghost Power! Let's do away with preaching a weak, powerless, and anemic gospel. Let's preach the true gospel with signs following.

Mark 16:20
20 And they [the apostles] went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.

So why would people want to teach that spiritual gifts and signs passed away with the last apostle or with the completetion of the Bible? Could it be that this is their way of excusing their powerless lives? Could it be that this gives them the way to blame God for their refusal to get the power of God in their lives? I would think that a true preacher of the gospel would want whatever God may offer them for their ministry.

One thing I have noticed about churches that teach that spiritual gifts have ceased, is that they seem almost lifeless. They have broken the commandment in First Thessalonians 5:19, "Quench not the Spirit." When you do not allow God's Spirit to have freedom in your church, you are quenching the Spirit.

I personally will not settle for a dead and lifeless church. I want to be in the House of the Lord. I do not want to play church. I want to experience Jesus, and whatever Jesus may have for me.

Matthew 18:20
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Jesus is telling us that if we gather together in His name, He will be there also. Today many people do not gather in Jesus' name; they gather in the name of their denomination, church, or belief. So it is very possible that some churches do not gather in Jesus' name, but, rather, in their denomination's name. Can it be any real wonder why these same "churches" never have Jesus show up in the midst of them?

If we are going to have power in our churches today, let us try gathering in Jesus' name, and not in the name of Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, etc. We need to be able to walk into a church, and not have to wonder if God's power will be there. If they are born again and are gathering in the name of the true Jesus of the Bible, they will have God's power there no matter what denomination they may be affiliated with.

The corporate church world has a lack of power. This is what is hurting Christianity today. It is not too surprising that many people are dabbling in the occult, looking for power. We, as believers, should take a stand, and show the world that Jesus is more powerful than all. When we do this, people will say, "Surely Jesus is Lord!"

How can we, as children of God, have God's power operating in our lives? The answer is simply that you need the power from on high. The next chapter will show you what this power is, and will show you how people have distorted and twisted Scriptures concerning the power of God for years.

In the last chapter I talked about God's Power, and how it is needed for today. The question was asked how do we receive God's power and presence. The answer lies in this Scripture:

Acts 1:8
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you....

Now I am not saying that if you have not received this power that you are not saved. I am not saying that you are less of a Christian. We are both saved by the same grace, so none of us can be more saved than another.

What I am saying is that you can be a great Christian, and still lack power in your life. We all need God's Holy Spirit working through us. No matter what you may have been taught, God wants you to have this power.

John 20:19-22
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them Peace be unto you.
20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.

When Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, He spoke some interesting words. He said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." Jesus wasn't telling them to receive the Holy Spirit later, like some people believe. He was telling them to receive the Holy Spirit right then and there.

Let me explain this by saying that when you give someone a present and say "Receive this present," you are not telling them to receive it a day from when you gave it. You are telling them to receive it right then. It is also the same principle when Jesus told His disciples to receive the gift He was offering them. He was offering them a filling of the power of God, seeing that they were already born-again and had their names written in heaven.

Luke 24:49
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

You do not receive this power from on high when you are saved (although you can receive it almost instantly after). This is a subsequent event to salvation. You have the Holy Spirit in your life from the very moment that your are saved, but you do not have Him in the fulness of power until you are baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:1-7
1 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,
2 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.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 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.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
7 And all the men were about twelve.

The disciples in Acts 19 had the Holy Spirit in their lives for they were born-again, but they never knew about Him and His power being available to them. Paul even asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed, proving that even though one has the Holy Spirit once they are saved, they still need to receive Him after salvation.

A good illustration would be if you have a room and a person walks into it and sets down, are they there? Yes, but you have not received them. You have not acknowledged their presense, nor have you done everything in your power to make them welcome. This is what these disciples (and many like them today) had. The Holy Spirit was in their lives, but they had never received Him.

Once you are saved, then you are able to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us look and see what happened when the apostles and other people gathered at Pentecost when they received power:

Acts 2:1-4
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The 120 people in the upper room on the day of Pentecost received power from on High. These 120 people had already believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour and were born-again. They received the baptism in the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost.

This baptism in the Holy Ghost is a fullness of God's Spirit in your life. You are not saved because you have received the Baptism in the Holy Ghost. You are saved when you receive Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour through repentance from sin and full faith in the Lord. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is for power in witnessing (Acts 1:8).

The power received in the baptism in the Holy Ghost is supernatural. When you are baptized in the Holy Ghost, you are opening a new area of your life to the Holy Spirit. When you do this, the Holy Spirit will work through you to get the gospel out. Many times when you are without this power you will just be doing it out of your own strength, not God's.

Who is the One who baptizes with the Holy Ghost? It is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the One who takes away our sin, and after that He baptizes us with the Holy Spirit. Let's look at another Scripture pointing to Jesus as the baptizer with the Holy Spirit, not just the Saviour of the world:

Matthew 3:11
11 ...he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost...

Jesus shall baptize us with the Holy Ghost. Jesus was introduced by John the Baptist as having two roles. One of the roles was Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His other role was the One Who baptizes with the Holy Ghost (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33). No one argues about Jesus' role of Saviour, but they do argue about His role as baptizer with the Holy Ghost.

When we are saved, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ. When the Holy Spirit baptizes us, we are reborn spiritually. That is not the baptism in the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit baptizes us, we are saved, but when Jesus baptizes us, we are baptized with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes us new creatures when we are saved. The baptism in the Holy Spirit gives us power.

Let me explain this using an example. John the Baptist baptized with water. This was the baptism of John the Baptist, because John was doing the baptizing. The same thing applies to the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the One baptizing, He is baptizing with the Holy Spirit. When we are saved, the Holy Spirit is the One doing the baptizing. The Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ.

So, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the baptism that the Holy Spirit does when we are saved. When we receive this baptism, we are saved and become part of the body of Christ. This makes us able to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, which is for power. Let's look at some Scripture that talks about the baptism we receive at salvation:

Romans 6:3-7
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

1 Corinthians 12:13
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Galatians 3:27
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Colossians 2:12
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

We see here that we are all baptized into one body. This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit that we receive when we are saved. If you look at the end of 1 Corinthians 12:13 it says that we have been made to drink into one Spirit. What does that mean? It means that once we are saved we can then receive the power of the Holy Spirit, because we have been made to drink (partake) of the Spirit.

The only thing is that these baptisms are not in order. The first baptism must come first. Without the New Birth, you cannot truly receive the other two baptisms. The other two baptisms can be at different times, one before the other. Let me show you in the Scriptures where the Baptism in the Holy Spirit can be received before the baptism with water:

Acts 10:44-47
44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45 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.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

Peter was preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius. While Peter was preaching the gospel, these men were baptized in the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. Peter then asked rhetorically, "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" because they were saved and baptized in the Holy Ghost. Sometimes people can be saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit, before being baptized in water. Either way is alright because God knows what He is doing.

The fact that "the Holy Ghost fell on all of them which heard the word", would mean that God not only baptized Cornelius and his family with the Holy Ghost, but that God also refilled Peter and the Jewish Believers that were there, because they all "heard the word"!

It is interesting to note that the Jews that came with Peter did not have a problem with the Gentiles getting saved, because that is why Peter was there in the first place. But when the Gentiles were baptized in the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues, the Jews were astonished. They thought that the fullness of the Spirit was only for them.

This is the way many church people today are. They think that you cannot be baptized with the Holy Spirit unless you are a part of their denomination. This is false and prideful. The gifts of the Spirit and the power from on high are for all who will receive them.

Contrary to some people's beliefs, God does not play these little denomination games. Jesus is not a denomination. He is God. God is surely not a Baptist, Methodist, or any other denominational title that people use to divide themselves from other believers. Denominations are nothing more than carnal Christians dividing themselves from the body of Christ. This is immature and childish.

1 Corinthians 3:3-4
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

People in the Corinthian church were separating into groups, or denominations. They were going under the title of their favorite ministers. This is nothing more than divisions and is a sign of carnal, weak, immature Christians dividing up the body of Christ. God is not pleased with our divisions that we call denominations.

I knew a Baptist pastor once who explained to me what he believed about the spiritual gifts and speaking in tongues. He did not believe in them and told me so. Yet, after we were through talking, he knew I did not agree with him about this. Rather than get angry with me, he encouraged me in the Lord, and I still consider him a true friend and brother in Christ.

This man did what so many are not willing to do. He looked past minor disagreements and showed me the love of the Lord. I needed this love because I was just a babe in Christ and did not know much of anything about the Lord.

To me this love that this man of God showed to me was better than any spiritual gift or miracle, but the spiritual gifts should work in love. Our faith (Galatians 5:6), and everything we do as believers, should have love in it (1 Corinthians 13). People should know us by our love we show to one another (John 13:35). If you cannot love someone because of their denomination, then you need to get saved! All true Christians will love one another even though they may disagree.

Many Pentecostal/Charismatic believers use this phrase loosely. They use this phrase as the baptism with the Holy Spirit in which Jesus is the baptizer. This is wrong. The baptism of (or done by) the Holy Spirit is one in which a sinner is reborn into the body of Christ.

John 3:6
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

When we are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ, we are born of God. This baptism by the Holy Spirit is one for salvation and placing into the body of Christ. This is not to be confused with the baptism in the Holy Spirit in which we receive the power of God to witness. Jesus spoke of both the baptism of (by) the Holy Spirit and the baptism in (with) the Holy Spirit.

The gift of God is the living water. The woman at the well did not realize that Jesus was talking about being born-again. Jesus was showing her that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is when the Holy Spirit comes and dwells in us. This indwelling is a well of living water.

1 John 2:27
27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

This anointing dwells inside of us and is the power which works in us (Ephesians 3:20). This well of power is our everlasting life. This is different than the baptism in the Holy Spirit, in which the power of God overflows that well and flows onto others.

This baptism of the Holy Spirit is our sealing of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). This sealing is our assurance of salvation in Jesus as long as we believe. This baptism meets our need of a Saviour and gives us spiritual life. This well of living water changes us from the inside out.

Now the second baptism that Jesus talked about involved the same people, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but they reversed roles and the purpose of the baptism was to share the well of living water with others.

John 7:37-39
37 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.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (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.)

These rivers of living waters are symbolic of the Holy Spirit filling us and overflowing our well. This baptism in or with the Holy Spirit is one in which the living waters (Holy Spirit Anointing) flow out of us onto others. The in-filling of the power of God is when we are saved and the overflowing of the power of God is for a special power to witness with signs following.

These rivers of living water flowed on the day of Pentecost, when the disciples were gathered in the upper room. They received the second baptism, the baptism of power!

This baptism of power is for every believer today to receive by faith. Once you are saved you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. You then need the baptism in the Holy Spirit in which God's power permeates your very being and touches others with the gospel of Christ.

God wants everyone to receive the Holy Spirit's power and glory. Do not let pride or unbelief hold you back from receiving the free gift of the Holy Spirit.

Prophecy

"Drink freely of My well. I wish to give you the rivers of living waters. Humble your heart before me and I will fill you. Do not delay. My promise is for you. Open up your heart to me and receive of My Holy Spirit today!" saith the Lord.

In this baptism the Holy Spirit is the One doing the baptizing. Jesus (or the body) is the substance the person is being baptized in. The person being baptized is the one who accepts Jesus as Lord and Saviour in full faith and repentance.

The person being baptized is now a child of God and a member of the body of Christ. They have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. This baptism is all that is needed to be a child of God. Everyone who believes on Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour has received this baptism of the Holy Ghost.

In this baptism, Jesus is the One doing the baptizing. He baptizes us with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit becomes more real in our lives and He gives us a supernatural language to pray to God with. This baptism is received by faith, and is only for someone who is born-again (John 14:17).

The baptism in the Spirit gives a born-again believer the power to minister like Christ ministered and with even greater works (John 14:12). This baptism of power allows signs and wonders to manifest in a believer's ministry and personal life. A believer can operate in the fullness of God's power after receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Mark 16:17-18
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

After we receive God's Power for witnessing, we should be able to cast out devils in Jesus' name. We should speak with new tongues (languages). We should be preserved from animal attacks and poisoning. The power of God should permeate every area of our being, so much so that we can even lay hands on the sick and they will have to recover!

God's power is freely given to all the born-again who will receive it. The word says that God gives the Holy Ghost to them that obey Him (Acts 5:32). God wants all believers to have His power manifesting in their lives. This power will destroy all yokes and remove every bondage that the devil will try to put on your life. It will also destroy yokes and remove every bondage on others when you loose that power over their lives in Jesus' name!

Many times when a believer is seeking the deeper walk with God they seek the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Many Christians pray to receive this blessing, but for some reason do not receive it.

I know that I for one sought the baptism in the Holy Spirit for three months. I prayed to receive probably about 1,000 times or more. I wanted to receive the power that I saw the apostles had in the Book of Acts.

My seeking led me to ask my pastor. I went to a denominational church that did not believe in the power of God for today. I asked my pastor about the baptism in the Spirit and speaking in tongues. He told me that it passed away with the last apostle.

When I asked where the Bible said that the gifts of the Holy Spirit died, or passed away with the last apostle, he did not have any sound biblical basis for his belief. He told me everything but the word of God.

This pastor proceeded to tell me that "church history" shows (it does not) that the gifts of the Spirit ceased to exist after the last apostle died. He based this belief on a theory that the Bible overtook the place of the Holy Spirit in the church today. This is false because the Holy Spirit and the word of God, Jesus Christ, agree and work together (1 John 5:7).

The more people I talked to about this, the more I heard that "it all passed away with the last apostle." Finally I realized that these people did not know what they were talking about. Every time I would ask them about speaking in tongues, or about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, they would say, "that speaking in tongues stuff is of the devil" and "you have the baptism in the Holy Spirit when you are saved."

Of course they could not give me one verse proving this. They gave me a few verses, but not one verse ever somewhat proved the false doctrine they were teaching. Many would use 1 Corinthians 12:13 as proof that one is baptized in the Holy Spirit when they are saved, but when I pressed them to explain how this can be when the roles are different (i.e. the Holy Spirit is doing the baptizing, and in the baptism in the Holy Spirit Jesus is doing the baptizing). This always brought them to bumbling and stuttering, for they had never been taught to take the Bible for what it said, not what they wanted it to say.

Finally, I called a pastor of a church that believed the Bible more than the traditions of man. This pastor told me that the baptism in the Holy Spirit was for today and the gifts of the Spirit were still around, and he proved it by the word of God. He did not try to tell me what "so and so" believes, or what he thought church history shows; he told me what the word of God says.

This pastor built my confidence that what I was seeking after was for me and everyone else that wants it. Now I was ready to receive the baptism in the Holy Ghost.

I wondered to myself how I would know that I had received the baptism, because I had prayed for it many times before but never received. So, I started the process of trying to find out what the Bible said was the evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. I found the following verses which undoubtedly shown me what the evidence is:

Acts 2:4
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

In this case, 120 people were all praying in the upper room when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They spoke with tongues as a result of being filled and baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit did not do the speaking, they spoke, He gave the utterance.

I had never heard anyone speak in tongues, and was not quite sure about the practice myself, but decided to stand firm in my belief of the word of God. So, I searched the Scriptures some more and found that the word of God had a lot to say about receiving the gift of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38-39
38 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.
39 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.

These verses showed me that the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit was for everyone, including me. This reassured me further that what I wanted to receive from God was real.

Acts 10:44-46
44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45 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.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God....

In these verses, it was clear to me that the reason "they of the circumcision", or the Jews, knew that the Gentiles had been baptized in the Holy Ghost was "For they heard them speak in tongues." This was the second witness in the word of God that the baptism in the Spirit was evidenced by speaking in tongues.

So now I was starting to catch on that tongues had something to do with the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Looking through the word I found a scripture that caught my eye. This scripture was an Old Testament prophecy about believers and speaking with other tongues:

Isaiah 28:11-12
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

This verse shows us that God would choose speaking in tongues as a sign, even though these people would not hear. First Corinthians 14:21-22 quotes this verse in Isaiah and says that the speaking in tongues that accompanies the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a sign for the unbeliever. This speaking in tongues edifies the person speaking only.

God was telling us through these verses that praying in tongues is the rest, and it is the refreshing. It is spiritual communion between the speaker and God the Father.

In the church, the gift of tongues must be accompanied by the gift of interpretation of tongues. This speaking in tongues is for the edification of the church, and not for the person speaking. Let me show you Scriptures showing us the two different kinds (or operations) of tongues:

Praying in the Spirit (speaking in tongues) edifies us. This kind of prayer in tongues builds up our most holy faith. This prayer language is for the person speaking to be built up. This speaking in tongues is not for the church, but for the single believer who is speaking in tongues.

1 Corinthians 14:2
2 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.

The prayer language of tongues is our spirit speaking by the Holy Spirit. Praying in tongues is the one of the few times that the word of God says that your spirit speaks. It is your spirit, by the Holy Spirit, speaking in a heavenly language. 1 Corinthians 13:1 inidicates that it can be both an angelic (heavenly) language or a earthly language of men. Either way it is unknown to the speaker, except the Holy Spirit give him the interpretation.

1 Corinthians 14:4
4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

When you speak in tongues, it is your private prayer language just between you and God. Prayer in tongues edifies the person praying in tongues. So, in the church assembly, prophecy is to be preferred over speaking in tongues. Not because one is better than another, but because in the church prophecy edifies the body, while speaking in tongues edifies the speaker only.

The prayer language of tongues is for private personal use between you and God only. When you speak in tongues you are speaking in His language, by His Spirit. You cannot pray incorrectly when you pray in tongues.

Every believer should pray in tongues privately every day along with praying with your underastanding (1 Corinthians 14:15). Praying in tongues edifies the person speaking. Speaking in tongues is for every believer's prayer life, and will increase it extremely! Paul was so convinced of speaking in tongues being important that even while rebuking the Corinthians Church for abusing the gift of tongues he said, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all" (1 Corinthians 14:18). He goes on to rebuke the abuse of the gift of tongues in the Church (1 Corinthians 14:19).

Some people believe that speaking in tongues is not for everyone. These people take verses out of context to try to prove their beliefs. Let me show you the main verses they distort for their personal gain (actually it is their loss).

1 Corinthians 12:27-30
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

The obvious answer to all of these questions is no! Not all speak with tongues. This is talking about the ministry gifts, not the spiritual gifts. An apostle is not a spiritual gift; it is a ministry gift. A prophet is not a spiritual gift; it is a ministry gift. These ministry gifts are set apart for the church.

Ephesians 4:11
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.

This is the five-fold ministry consisting of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Not everyone will be a prophet, nor will everyone be an apostle. These are ministries that God gives as He wills. Now with this in mind, let's look back at a scripture we have already discussed:

1 Corinthians 12:28-30
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

Verse 28 says that God has set some in the church. So this is talking about in the church. You cannot rip this verse from its context and try to assert that this is teaching that all believers cannot have the gift of tongues. In their private prayer life, each and every believer who will submit themselves to the will of God and receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit will speak in tongues. Yet, God may never use them to speak in tongues in the church (which must be followed by interpretation, 1 Corinthians 14:23-28). That is what these verses clearly deal with.

So, of course we all cannot speak in tongues with an interpretation, but we all can pray in tongues. In the church, during times of intercession, the whole church body may pray in tongues (silently, keeping it to himself and God), because this is the highest form of intercession and does not need to be interpreted (1 Corinthians 14:27-28).

Whenever we are born-again we need to seek after the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Without the baptism in the Holy Spirit, you lack power to witness (Acts 1:8), plain and simple. This lack of power will show in your faith walk, and you will always want something more! This does not mean that you are less of a Christian, rather it means that you have not matured in the faith to the level of receiving the baptism (although it takes no maturing, but for some they must mature to a point of refusing to believe man's doubts and sticking only to the truth).

I explain not having the baptism in the Spirit like this: Say you have a brand new computer and you try to turn it on. Without it being plugged into the electrical power, it cannot do that which it was made to do. This same thing applies to us. When we are born-again we cannot fully do that which we were recreated to do unless we have power. That is why all believers need this experience.

Once you receive this power you also get an accompanying tool called speaking in tongues. While there is no way of making a perfect illustartion for this, here is one: "Praying in tongues is similar to a radio channel. There are many radio signals, but if you are not on the right channel you cannot receive that signal. God is like the radio and He is on a certain channel. Speaking in tongues is the signal that God picks up." When we speak in tongues God hears our prayers. The word of God promises it! (1 Corinthians 14:2)

Romans 8:26
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

1 Corinthians 14:14-15
14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 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.

The best use of tongues is balance. You should pray in the spirit, but you should also pray with the understanding. We need to have a proper balance of praying with our understanding and in the spirit, as Paul said, "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).

So, I continued to seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I now knew that the evidence of the baptism was speaking in other tongues. Even though I knew this in my head, I could not get that knowledge to my spirit. I was beginning to wonder if maybe I was not asking correctly, or was not asking in faith.

So, one day I was reading a book on the subject of speaking in tongues. The author told his testimony of receiving the Holy Spirit. I knew that what he was saying was true, because it set the hidden man of my heart afire! I felt that I needed to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit just as he had received it.

This man explained in his book that he had prayed to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but had never spoke in tongues. He then realized that in his spirit he could "hear" sounds and syllables. One day he acted on these syllables and spoke them out. This action caused a flood of peace and power, and these syllables formed a language that continued to flow.

I had heard these same syllables each time I prayed to receive the baptism, even from the very first time I prayed for the baptism, but I had never acted on them in faith. I then put down the book, prayed, and then spoke out these syllables I had heard ALL ALONG! I spoke in tongues for about an hour. I had finally received the power and prayer language I had been seeking after!

Jesus promised the disciples many things: answers to prayers, healing, and salvation. One of Jesus' most important promises is the promise of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:15-17
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The wording of "another Comforter" obviously shows that this Comforter Jesus was going to give the disciples is another Divine Person. This person, known as the Holy Spirit, will abide with us forever. The world cannot receive the Holy Spirit (Spirit of truth) because they refuse to be born-again.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit was with them and shall be in them. This was obviously Jesus showing the disciples that they needed the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus was telling them that there was more to the kingdom than salvation.

Salvation brings us to a point where we can receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit for power. Jesus wants us to walk in the same anointing He had. He wants us to perform the same miracles through the power of the Holy Ghost. Through this power we can share God's love with others.

John 10:27-29
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father' hand.

The disciples all had eternal life. A man is given eternal life as he walks in the light of Jesus Christ; by living and trusting in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour by faith.

If you do not have eternal life, then you cannot receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. You must be born-again to receive the power from on high. God will give His Spirit to those who hear His Voice, and honor Him as the Good Shepherd.

John 14:26
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The Comforter, the Holy Ghost, will fill you and give you knowledge of His word. He will also bring the word of God to your remembrance. Let the Holy Ghost stir up knowledge in your spirit. The word promises you that the Holy Spirit will teach you and bring things to your remembrance if you will just receive Him.

Jesus has the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in Him bodily. Jesus Christ is as much God and has all the powers and attributes of God as the Father and the Holy Spirit. All spiritual power and blessings can be found through the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:27
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Christ indwells us as believers. This is the hope of glory. The Anointed One and His anointing dwells in us. The word of God says that in Jesus Christ dwells the fullness of the Godhead. So, if Christ is in us (in union), and the fullness of the Godhead is in Him, then the fullness of the Godhead dwells in us. We have fulness of power when we receive the power from on high, and really we have access to such power even from the very moment that we are born-again.

God has promised to dwell in the hearts of His people. Now we will look at some Scriptures proving that the fullness of the Godhead dwells in all believers.

2 Corinthians 5:19
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

God the Father was in Jesus Christ. Then Jesus became in us when we were born-again. That is the hope of glory. God the Father was in Christ, and Christ is in us, and the Holy Spirit dwells in us when we accept Jesus into our hearts. The fullness of the Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit, dwells in all believers!

Let us never neglect the power of God and fail to stir up the gift of God that is within us! If you have never recieved the baptism in the Holy Spirit and are born-again please pray this prayer with me (if you are not born-again, repent of all your sins in full faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and Lord and then pray this prayer):

Father, I come to you today in the name of Thy holy child Jesus. You Son taught that if we then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto our children: how much more shall our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? [Luke 11:13] Father, I believe this promise and ask you to give me the promise of the Holy Spirit baptism! I fully receive it know and thank you and praise you for it!

Now just begin to speak out the words or sylables that you hear in your spirit. You do not have to make up words, for the Holy Spirit will give you the utterance. Just submit to Him and freely receive!

You can get ICQ at www.icq.com and ICQ me at ICQ #29231018! If you do not have ICQ but would like to initiate a chat with me then click here!

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