How to Receive the Spirit's Baptism with the Evidence of Speaking in Tongues RIGHT NOW!

God wants you to be a world changer. He wants you to make a difference, to advance the Kingdom of Heaven, and push back the Kingdom of Darkness. He wants you to take His saving Gospel to the ends of the earth starting in your local community. But He doesn't expect you to do this on your own. He knows it's hard, and challenging. He wants to empower you to live out the calling He has placed on your life. He wants to equip you to share the Gospel to the nations, and impact this world for Christ. Jesus called this "empowerment" the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:5, 1:8, 2.4, 10:44-46,19:7)

Maybe you have been seeking and searching for the Spirit's Baptism. You have a longing to be filled up with His Spirit and overwhelmed with His presence in your life. Well if that describes you, that congratulations, today is your day! There is no need for you to wait any longer for a gift that God so desperately wants to give you. I have seen Christians seek the Baptism in the Holy Spirit for years, only to be disappointed. This doesn't have to be the case.

If you have not yet received this blessing which God gives to empower and equip you to live out His calling on your life, then now is the time. You can be Baptized in the Spirit right now, if you will only reach out and receive His gift. Jesus said, "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone. If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who asks" (Luke 11:10-13). 

We can know that if we ask God for the Holy Spirit, He will not give us a counterfeit. You have no need to feel as though you have not experienced the "Real McCoy". As far a speaking in tongues. It isn't about repeating what someone told you to repeat. That is not right. God will give you to words. Well are you ready to be filled with the Spirit? Then let's get started! 

Get alone with God, and start thanking Him and worshiping Him. Praise Him and thank Him out loud with your mouth, with your words. I have not seen one person receive the Spirit and start speaking tongues with their mouth closed. Just be in His presence praying, worshiping, and thanking God out loud, asking Him to fill you with the Spirit. Tell Him that you receive the Spirit by faith in the name of Jesus. Continue talking to God out loud and when you feel the presence of God, you will feel something stirring and rising up from within you. Just let go and let God do whatever He wants to do in your life. You will feel this rising feeling prompting you to speak new words, or new words may come to your from nowhere. Let go! Start speaking those new words that you feel rising up within you. Continue speaking by faith. It is about letting go, and speaking what is coming to you.

You can pray in tongues whenever you want. You don't have to wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon you. Acts 2:4 does not say that the Spirit possessed the apostles and forced their mouths to move. The Bible says they spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave them the ability/utterance. They were the ones speaking in tongues, God's Spirit just enabled them to do so. Once you have been Baptized in the Holy Spirit, you already have the ability to speak in tongues, it is then up to you to begin speaking and using that gift.

Go ahead, receive all that God has for you today, so He can empower you to change your world! Once you have received, please comment or message me back telling me the good news! Let's rejoice together in the infilling of the Holy Spirit!

Speaking in Tongues and Evangelism

I have already shown how the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift given so that we can be empowered to witness to the lost. For those who missed that post...

For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.                                                                                          -Acts 1:5

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
                          
                                                                                                  -Acts 1:8

If you read my last post on the Spirit's Baptism you will also remember that Speaking in Tongues is the initial physical evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. In the book of Acts, whenever people were filled with the Spirit, they spoke in tongues, but why? Why did God choose something so strange as speaking in tongues to be the initial sign of the Spirit's baptism?

Before I answer that, I should point out that there are three different types of "tongues" recorded in the New Testament. The first kind of tongue we find in Acts 2:4

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

                                                                                               -Acts 2:4

Now in this instance, if you keep on reading, they crowd that had gathered understood what these 120 Christians were saying as they were speaking in tongues. This might be the weirdest kind of tongues. The Greeks heard the believers speaking in Greek, the Arabs heard them speaking in Arabic, the Jews heard them speaking Hebrew, and so on and so forth. Each person in the crowd heard what was being said in their own native tongue.

There are reports of this happening today. I have heard of people from different countries coming to a Charismatic service and heard people speaking in tongues, only to find out that they people were speaking the foreigners native language and didn't know it! So this first kind of tongue is man ward.

The second kind of tongue is what many Pentecostals call prayer language. This is when a Spirit-Filled believer prays in tongues in their private devotional time. The Bible says that when we pray in this kind of tongue, we speak "mysteries" unto God. That we are personally build up and edified through this kind of prayer life.

For he who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.
                                                                                                -1st Corinthians 14:2

The one who speaks in tongues builds up himself.....

                                                                                               -1st Corinthians 14:4a

So the second kind of tongue is God ward. The third kind of tongue is the gift of tongues accompanied with the gift of interpretation. This is a form of prophecy. It is when someone gives a public proclamation of tongues in a service, and another or that same person gives and interpretation so everyone can understand and be edified.

Therefore one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.

                                                                                            -1st Corinthians 14:13

So now we see the three kinds of tongues. Two of them are man ward, one is God ward. But what does all this have to do with evangelism? The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is given to empower us for evangelism, so why do we need tongues to evangelize? Jesus told us not to worry about what to say because we would be given the right words at the right time. That it would not be us speaking but the Holy Spirit speaking through us. (Luke 12:12,13)

So when we speak in tongues, it is a sign that we are willing to submit our mouths to God in order to be used by Him. As I have said before, God does not want us to share the Gospel by our own might or power, but by His Spirit. He does not want us to win the lost through reason, arguing, strategies, training, etc. He wants us to win the lost through a demonstration of the Spirit's power. We are to evangelize in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When you speak in tongues, that means you are a place in your walk with God, that you will let the Holy Spirit use you and speak through you. So when you do encounter the lost, the idea of God given you the words to say by the power of the Spirit, will not be so new and foreign to you. That is why it is the initial evidence of the Spirit's Baptism. It is a sign! It is a sign that the Spirit Baptized individual speaks not of the own accord, but by the power of the Spirit of God!

Do NOT Share the Gospel... Until You Have Been Empowered

You know, I could provide a really good argument for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I could point out how in all of the synoptic Gospels, John the Baptist says, "I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come one greater than I.... He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.." (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33). Even Jesus talks about the Baptism in the Spirit in Acts 1:5 "For John baptized with water, but in a few days baptized you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

I'm sure I could provide a solid case that the Spirit's Baptism is an experience that takes place after salvation/conversion. For instance in Acts 8.

"When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because they Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them. They had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit."

                                                                                         -Acts 8:14-17

Here we have people who were most certainly saved and baptized. They were Christians. Go ahead all who doubt, open the Bible yourself, read the verses leading up to the passage, and do your own research. These people were born again, baptized Christians. Yet... they had not received the Spirit. That is just ONE example.

I am also very confident that I could back up the teaching that Speaking in Tongues is the initial physical evidence of the Spirit's Baptism. When the apostles received the Spirit they spoke in tongues (Acts 2:4), the disciples in Ephesus spoke in tongues when Baptized in the Spirit (Acts 19:7). But notice Acts 10: 45-46....

"The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God."

Take another look at that passage... How did the "circumcised believers" know that the Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles? They heard them speaking in tongues.

Like I said, I could provide a pretty decent argument for all of this, but it won't mean much to you if you don't place a high priority on evangelism. If you are not of the Pentecostal/Charismatic tradition, chances are all of this will be interesting, challenging, but mostly irrelevant information to you, if you don't put a high priority on witnessing to the lost.

You see, Jesus wants us to share the Gospel. He wants us to "make disciples of all the nations" but He doesn't ask us to carry out this "Great Commission" by our own abilities and talents. He wants us to share the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. To seek and save that which is lost by His power, not our own.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

                                                                                                -Acts 1:8

 Many believers know the Great Commission, but few are aware of what Jesus said before He gave it.

"And repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

                                                                                                    - Luke 24:47-49

"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift you heard my Father promised, which you heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

                                                                                                   -Acts 1:5

If however, you are passionate about winning the lost for Christ, this teaching is very relevant. Jesus doesn't want you to get frustrated by reading "soul winning" classes, or by buying thousands of Gospel Tracts, or memorizing every rebuttal to the Christian faith. He doesn't want you to live with the frustration of trying, on your own, to get through to those you care about every day. He wants to empower you. He wants you to share the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. That is what makes this relevant.

After the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up and explained to the bewildered crowd what had just happened. It was much more than the "birthday of the church". It was God supernaturally empowering His servants to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. So I leave you with his words, and encourage you to seek out the Spirit's Baptism, and be empowered to live out the calling that God has placed on your life.....

"Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

'In the last days God says, "I will pour out my Spirit on all people, your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy""

                                                                                            -Acts 2:14-18

Jesus Would Have Watched TV, Listened to Music, and Watched Sports

    Jesus didn't use conventional means to convey His message. In fact, His followers at times became frustrated with His unwillingness to just say it straight. He used parables, stories, metaphors, analogies, and other anecdotes to explain the message He had come to share.

    Jesus was very specific and intentional about the parables He used. He often used stories based on agriculture, farming, fishing, etc to help people understand the Kingdom of God. He did this because these were the settings that people in that day would understand.

    Many of His listeners were in agriculture or were closely connected to it in some way. Many of His followers were fishermen. The parables Jesus told came from a culture that the people could relate to.

    Had Jesus been around today, His parables would be much different. He would have crafted His parables from our culture. What drives our culture? The drivers and influencers of our culture are TV, media, music, sports, etc. Jesus would have drawn from these to form His parables to explain the Gospel.

    We can learn from Christ's example. Following in the footsteps of Jesus, we should draw on the influencers of our culture to help others understand the Gospel.

Want to be Compared with Christ? Then be a Drunk and Hang Out with Prostitutes

    How cool would it be if someone accused you of being just like Jesus. Think about it. What if people said the same things about you that they said about Jesus? Man, that would boost my ego. Before we get ahead of ourselves and try to start imitating Christ, lets take a look at some of the things people said about Jesus, and see if that's a reputation we all want to strive for.

"The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'"

                                                                                                  -Matthew 11:19

    I don't know about you, but being a professing Christian and a minister, I don't want people going around saying that I am a drunkard and a glutton. Here's another question. Would we want to be associated with the people that Jesus associated with? Look at this passage.

"Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples."

                                                                                                 -Matthew 9:10

    Okay, in the cultural context, who are these "tax collectors" and "sinners"? Given that these titles were given by the religious elite of the day, we can assume that they mean anyone that didn't fit into their little "holier than thou" click. It goes deeper than that however. "Tax collector" referred to a Jew who betrayed his own people and worked for the Romans. This type of person would often take more than they required and take advantage of his own kind. "Sinners" referred to three different groups of people. First, the irreligious Jew, corrupt people and money launderers, and finally the "riff raff" of the town; drunkards, thieves, prostitutes, etc. 

    Like before, I am not sure I want people going around saying that I associate with these people. I don't think many Christians would want the reputation Jesus had. Today He is revered, but during His time on the earth, He had a reputation of being a drunk, running with the wrong crowd, some even called Him demon possessed. I mean, how popular could He be if the people called for His execution? Which begs the question, why in the world would the Son of God bring such an embarrassing reputation on Himself? It all goes with His mission; To seek and save that which was lost

"When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, 'Why is your teacher eating with tax collectors and sinners?' But when Jesus heard this, He said, 'It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire compassion, and not sacrifice', for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'"

                                                                                            -Matthew 9:11-13

    Jesus did not come to minister to those who had already made themselves right with God. He came for those who were and are, far away from Him. He associated with those who needed Him the most. They were His mission. They were the reason He came to earth. Here is the heart piercing truth; His mission is our mission. Those of us who are Christians have some soul searching to do. Knowing where He went, do we really want to follow Christ? Knowing the reputation He acquired, do we really want to be like Christ?

    At the end of the day, can we expect anything less? They called Him a drunkard and a glutton. They accused Him of hanging out with the scum of society. Then Jesus says this the night before His death;

"If the world hates, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master'. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also."

                                                                                                    -John 15:18-20

I leave you with a thought provoking question: What are you doing to bring people to Christ that could cost you your reputation?