The Baptism In The Holy Spirit

Joined: Apr 09, 2007 Posts: 70 Status: **Offline**

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaidens in those days will I pour out My Spirit." Joel 2:28,29.

After Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit, He went about healing the sick and casting out demons by the power (dunamis, from which we get the word dynamite) of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His disciples, "And behold I send the promise of My Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power (dunamis) from on high." Lu 24:49. This promise was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. Acts 2:14-21. The Apostle Paul would later say, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 1 Cor 2:4,5.

Jesus said, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; in My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 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." Mk 16:17,18.

Paul instructed the church, "Now concerning Spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant...For to one is given by the Spirit the Word of wisdom; to another the Word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues..." 1 Cor 12:1-11.

"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...he that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church...wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. 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...wherefore my brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues." 1 Cor 14:1-40.

Some limit the speaking in tongues to merely preaching in other languages. First of all, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are supernatural - not talents or abilities. It would be blasphemous to say that sinners who speak more than one language are operating in the Holy Spirit. If one comes to the Word of God with a teachable heart, he will readily see in these passages that speaking and praying in tongues is to be part of the worship service.

Jude 20,21 tells us, "But ye beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keeping yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."

"For precept must be upon precept; line upon line; here a little and there a little: for with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to His people. 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." Isa 28:10-12. Will you hear?