In this series, we have not been looking into debunking the supernatural stories that are out there this time of year. We are not trying to look into occultist things or to scare you. We know that is the primary goal of Halloween, besides getting candy, is to create a month of startling or scary moments.
Our series is about the Holy Ghost. Each week, we have looked into another story through the book of Acts that shows that He is real, still at work in our lives today, and that He is available to us all even now.
I am aware that this is a controversial topic in the Christian world today. There are those that truly believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit and what it means to your life. There are others that believe that the Holy Spirit is just a force that works around our lives, but does not actively participate in what is happening in our lives. There are others, that openly believe that this power that Jesus promised is no longer in effect for our lives.
The truth is that one of the greatest points of debate for those of us that believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the WHEN it happens. There are those that believe that you receive the holy spirit at salvation. There of those of us that believe that it is a separate experience that all believers should seek for their lives.
But there is one area that seems to cause more division than any other…that is the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
A few years ago, there was a show on TV that started gaining momentum. To be honest, I would watch it from time to time. It was called Ghost Hunters. The point of the show was that there were paranormal researches that would go into places that had been rumored or believed to be haunted and look for the evidence.
They would use voice recorders, infrared cameras, and other things to try to capture evidence that a place was haunted. Afterwards, they would take all their experiences and go back to analyze whether something paranormal had happened. There were times, you would watch this show and could explain away all that was happening, and others, it would baffle you. They would bring all the evidence back to those that hired them to come in and say whether they found anything.
For me, it was like watching an investigation to get to the truth.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost is found with evidence. This evidence is something that does not have to be parsed out or searched in the tapes to see if it happened. It is on display for all to see.
As we look at our next Ghost Story, I believe that we will see that there is a pattern or evidence that we have been immersed in the Holy Ghost.
Acts 10:44-48 (ESV) 44While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
When we look at this text, I think it’s important to know that the power of the Holy Spirit fell on people in different ways. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit moved as they were together praying. No one was preaching or teaching, the HS moved as they prayed. In another instance, the HS moved as people were laying hands on believers to receive. In this moment, even as Peter is speaking, the HS moves and baptizes.
Why is this important? It’s about understanding that the method that you receive is not that important. It is the HS that moves, not a preacher or teacher. He is autonomous of that. He is moving in conjunction with God the Father and Christ the Son.
But the overriding thing that we see in every circumstance is there is an evidence to when it has happened.
That evidence or the initial evidence is Speaking in Tongues.
I know in this present day Christianity, we shy away from this evidence. We don’t want others to see us as crazy or believing in something that seems outlandish. But yet these same people will believe in Karma or in some force in the universe that can move on their behalf.
Even as Christians, we have to exercise faith about the things that the bible teaches us. We weren’t there, so there is a measure of faith with every part. But it is interesting that the thing that we run from is this evidence that the Holy Spirit has moved in our lives. It embarrasses us. It makes us afraid of what others would think.
But before we can even get to that part of things, we have to understand that there are condition for us getting this baptism of the Holy Spirit…
You must be saved!
John 14:15-17 (ESV) 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
Jesus said that the world cannot receive Him. Who is the world? It is those that have not come to a saving knowledge of Christ. There must be a salvation moment prior to this baptism. Because you cannot connect to this part of God unless there is faith in his ability to save us.
Romans 8:16 (ESV) The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
You have to OBEY!
The only way that you have fellowship with God is through the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Obedience is about continuing to walk with Him. It’s not something that we get to do on our own terms. That’s important to understand. We are supposed to read the word and do it! Not read the word and do what we want.
Acts 5:32 (ESV) And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
1 John 1:7 (ESV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
You need to ASK!
The HS does not just overtake your life without your invitation. The gentiles that Peter was preaching to wanted more of God in their life. The same is true in our lives. God will not just anoint you life with this power without your invitation.
Luke 11:9-13 (ESV) 9And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
You must BELIEVE!
This seems elementary, but how can receive something that you don’t truly believe in? You will see it as just an emotional moment you got caught up in.
Galatians 3:14 (ESV) so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
We receive the promised Spirit through faith. These are the conditions to receive it. But some times, the reason that we don’t receive it has more to do with control that it does release. We want to control what we say or our actions, and it scares us to let go in such a way.
Many of us get confused by the definition of speaking in tongues. It scares us. That’s because we miss the point of them in our lives. It is about seeking God. As we seek the creator of all and the giver of the good gifts (the promise) we are opened up to this anointing.
When you seek God and all that He has to offer, it takes the focus off your own life and what you are holding on to so dear. You become less worried about what others may think about you or how you are perceived by them. It becomes all about being in communion with Him.
On the original day of pentecost, that’s what happened. They weren't seeking a gift. They were seeking the giver of the gift when the Spirit fell. When it fell, they began to experience a power to be witnesses even without trying.
John 7:37-39 (ESV) 37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Jesus is talking about this river of living water as more than just a stream. As a matter, it is the same term that is used for the floods that hit the foolish mans house. This is an inundation. A flood that would come from our lives when the Spirit hits us.
This idea of speaking in tongues is not just a good idea, its a God idea. They were there to help us worship God, to reach out to others, and to build up our inner man. This baptism of the Spirit is always working UP, OUT and IN.
Tongues are not the entirety of the river that would flow from our lives, but it can’t be separated from it either! Why didn’t God just put a stamp on us for all to see as an evidence? He could have done that. But why did he choose speech as something to affect?
We do know that all through the bible, the tongue is described as something with power. It is directs and follows at the same time.
Impurity that pours out our hearts, flows through the tongue
Matthew 12:34b (ESV)”…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Compared the tongue to a rudder that steers the ship
James 3:4 (ESV) Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.
Compared the tongue to a spark that can start a forest fire
James 3:5-6 (ESV) 5So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.
The tongue expresses the sinful anger in our lives
It spews what is in the heart
The tongue lies
It speaks profanity
It talks foolishness
God uses his gift for our lives to fix the problem of the tongue! We have allowed evil things to control it, but we struggle with allowing God to have control over it.
In this blog, I may not dispel every doubt you have about this topic, but I do want to show you why this important.
Tongues give definition to what has happened in our lives!
Jesus told us that the power of our words could move mountains. When those around the upper room heard what was going on, there was evidence that something was different in that space.
Those tongues were declaring the glories and mysteries of God.
When we receive this gift of the Holy Spirit, the reason we become witnesses is because we are declaring the greatness of God with our mouths. We are declaring the reality of what has come upon us.
Acts 2:11-12 (ESV) we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Tongues gave definition to what happened in the upper room. The truth is that there were 3 things that happened up there, but only one was repeated again in every instance…
Sound of rushing wind
Tongues of fire
Speaking in other tongues
2. Tongues give us the ability to communicate readily!
I want you think of the greatest moment of your life. Got it? I want you to describe that event to someone else without using words. It's impossible. Because words paint a picture.
Words, (tongues) are the way that express the magnitude of what we have experienced. The baptism of the HS is more than you can explain in your own words. You don’t have the words to describe what it means. If I tried to put into words what has happened in my life, I can’t do it justice, but the Holy Spirit can. It is the Holy Spirit that gives the words to speak when we dont even know how to express the greatness of God.
3. The tongue expresses what is in the heart!
Just as the evil things that are in us can come out in our speech, the Holy Spirit comes out in our speech the same way!
In John 21, Jesus asks Peter 3 times to express his love for his love for him. Now we know that Peter denied Jesus 3 times, and three times he would have to affirm his love for him. But the words we use have everything to do with what is going on the inside of us. In our hearts.
We all use 2 forms of communication. This is true of everyone…
Verbal (talking)
Non-Verbal (Actions that we do)
How do we express our love for God? Its in our words and in our deeds!
But God also gives us another method, that is through the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues is not about your glory, but expressing the glory of God. When we have so much we need to express to God, but we dont have the words, it is the Holy Spirit that bridges that gap.
Romans 8:26 (ESV) Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words
It is the Holy Spirit that expresses those things that are too big for the words that we have. He bridges the gap.
4. Tongues are evidence that we have the Promise of the Father!
Remember this, we are not seeking a gift or an ability. We are seeking the Father. When we seek Him, we are promised a gift.
Acts 2:33 (ESV) Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
Speaking in tongues could not and cannot be minimized in this experience. It was part of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They cannot be separated. In every instance, we see it accompanied the experience.
We need to seek the giver and experience what he will pour out on our lives. The gift is the promise. You can declare it! You can pray it! But if you only seek a gift the gift, you will miss the greater (Simon the Sorcerer, Acts 8)
He is spirit and we must worship him in Spirit and in Truth. The word gives us the promise if we will seek him, we have access to this helper in our lives. But do you really want it? The choice is yours.
pj