I am writing about an experience that is genuinely confusing to a lot of Christians. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit as we read about in Acts. If we as a church do not experience this kind of power, then we are destined to be just another church. I have been a Christian now for 18 years, and have heard many testimonies and stories throughout the years on this experience. One example comes out time and time again and it is one that I can personally relate to. This "heat ," or "warmth," that comes into a person, through the top of their head and down through their body.

It is interesting that John the Baptist foretold that Jesus would Baptize His followers with fire and on the day of Pentecost there were tongues of fire above their heads. And now, two thousand years later, a common description of being Baptized in the Holy Spirit is the heat or the warmth that starts on the top of peoples heads. I have no real interest in speaking about tongues, I am a tongue speaker and I love to speak in my prayer language, but way to much has been made of this, the least of all the gifts. The Scriptures themselves asks the rhetorical question "Do all speak with tongues?" and of course the answer is no. So while tongues is a sign of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, it is not the definitive sign.

So, here is a question. Is signs and miracles dependent upon the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? Was there miracles and signs accomplished by the followers of Jesus prior to Pentecost? Of course the answer is yes. So, if Jesus does not allow His followers to leave Jerusalem until they are "endued with power from on High," then it must be a different power that Jesus was talking about. How sad then, that in much of the Pentecostal movement today, their highest ambition is to see the kind of signs and wonders that was going on prior to Pentecost. We also know that signs and wonders are worked through people who do not even know Jesus, as testified to in Scriptures("Depart from me you workers of iniquity for I never knew you .")

Consider what A.W.Tozer says on this very subject................................

Again, they had the power to work miracles, so that when they came back reciting the manifestations of their power, the Lord rebuked them for pride and told them they should be glad, rather, that their names were written in heaven. But He did not deny that they had exercised His power, for He knew they did. He gave it to them! Some teach that if you are filled with the Spirit, you will have miracles, forgetting that the disciples had the power of miracles before they were filled with the Spirit.

The power of the Holy Spirit is not necessary to make miracle workers. The power of the Holy Spirit is something infinitely higher, grander and more wonderful than that. They worked miracles before the Spirit ever came.

—Counselor, The

"The power of the Holy Spirit is something infinitely higher, grander and more wonderful than that."
Do you see what Tozer is saying? So it is a great sadness to me personally that a great majority of the Pentecostal churches spend so much time and effort and prayers praying to have the kind of church that would fit quite well into a pre- Pentecost world. If the disciples could not operate in this power without being overtook with pride, do we really believe that the modern Christian world is better than they? So, while signs and miracles will indeed follow the Disciples of the Lord, what is the power that they waited for in the upper room?

When the Lord was on the cross, In John 19:34 and His work was finished, we see that rather than break His legs, the soldiers who saw that He was already dead, "pierced," His side instead. If we now go to Acts 2:37 we see that Peter has just came to the end of a speech that was one of the greatest ever given. He had just shared the Gospel with a crowd of thousands, and that same crowd could have easily torn him to pieces. The NKJV says that upon hearing these words they "were stabbed in the heart." They were so convicted that they asked the Apostles what they must do. The word for "stabbed in the heart," in Acts and "pierced," in John comes from the same root Greek word , "nusso," meaning to pierce. Now the interesting thing about the word used in Acts is that the Holy Spirit uses the word Katanusso to describe what the people felt when hearing the words of Peter. Katanusso means to pierce thourougly, or to agitate violently. It is a much stronger word than the word nusso used to describe what happened to the Lord with a spear.

So the words that Peter spoke when filled with the Holy Spirit were more violent than the action of someone being stabbed with a spear. This is the power of the Holy Spirit, this is the difference, this is what they had been waiting on. Now they were truly fishers of men. And indeed, instead of the crowd ripping them to pieces, against all the odds, 3000 were added to the Church that day.

And so when Tozer writes "The power of the Holy Spirit is not necessary to make miracle workers. The power of the Holy Spirit is something infinitely higher, grander and more wonderful than that. They worked miracles before the Spirit ever came." This is what he meant.

Now brothers and sisters, according to Barna, 92% of proffessing Christians have never saw anyone come to the Lord through their own personal sharing. Our own brother Akers shared a few weeks ago that mega churches and churches that are bulging at the seams are not filled with new converts, they are filled with "church hoppers," people from other churches. So what is there a desperate need of today? The power that the Apostles exercised before Pentecost? Or the power that they exercised after Pentecost? May the Spirit of the Lord fall upon His church and may we be endued with "Katanusso," power, the power to penetrate the hard hearts of the lost and the dying .

I understand your article, though some might misunderstand it.

In order to lead men to the Cross, the Cross had to be.

Then we arrive at Acts 2 where men are cut to the heart and asking what they were to do.

Since the apostles were now endued with power from on high, that is, the Holy Spirit, they had the power that God intended them to have.

Could still be misunderstood what you wrote, but you are thinking!

God bless.

Hi Enid...there is perhaps no more area of Christian life more misunderstood than this topic. Below is a couple of excerpts from my site to show you one of the misunderstandings....

"Amen Timbob, John 16:8 is a perfect Scripture to illustrate this truth. Some of the points I did not get into was that in all of the NT, we see perhaps just one “Christian,” healing(Peters mother-in-law) Any yet in todays modern church, the notion of miracles and healings seems to be the sign for them that the Holy Spirit has come in revival. It is, we are told, a method for convincing the world of the reality of Christ. Hmm There is a whole post needed there to refute that idea :)Anyway, it is self-indulgence, self love versus love of the world………..Frank" ..........

A lady replied....

"Hi there…just had to respond to #4 comment above since there were many “Christian” healings cited in the new testament…i.e., Peter and John in Acts 3: 1-11, Acts 5:16, Acts 14: 8-10, Acts 28: 8-9, etc. However, the points made above are not lost. Evidence of the Holy Spirit by signs seems to be sought by men in these times as of old. However, this “sign seeking” by men of the Holy Spirit is evidence that the essence of John 16:8 has fallen upon a heart that is yet perfected in Christ Jesus. Judgment of the heart precludes man’s knowing, without signs and wonders, that the Holy Spirit abides within. Once the heart has been judged, self dies, the Spirit of Christ is resurrected in the life, then the heart knows the Holy Spirit has come without any need for signs. Truly, this is all the work of God in his due time and order."

I wrote back to her about all the Scriptures that she had quoted and pointed out to her that there was no evidence to suggest that any of the recipients healed were disciples of the Lord, in fact the opposite, but here is my reply that I think is more interesting.........

"Hi Kay…welcome sister, I appreciate your comments on the post. I think you may have missed the point or perhaps I was not to clear about it, probably the latter I was not saying that there are no miracles in the New Testament, God forbid, the New Testemant is replete with the supernatural and miracles. No, what I was saying was that there is no evidence that “Christians,” were the recipients of healing miracles, perhaps only Peter’s mother in law. I personally understand this, and what we are seeing now in the modern Western church is perahaps the reason why. It has devolved into self-indulgence. “Christians,” seek out certain kinds of “revival,” because they are seeking a healing for themselves. They are so obsessed with this present world, that when a diagonosis comes from a Doctor of almost certain death, they panic. Every single infirmity requires correction for the modern day believer. Just as the world has a pill for everything, the modern believer would like an incantation for everything. And, there are plenty of peddlers around that will fill this vaccum and fill their coffers at the same time. If a man is sick, then let him have his own elders pray for him and anoint him and he will be saved. Saved form what you might ask? Ah, well there is another post Thanks for dropping by Kay and may the Lord Jesus bless you……….Frank"

You could find all of the interactions on my website, address below........Frank

Every true believer that has put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and recieved Him as their savior has the Holy Spirit abiding in them. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is for the purpose of bringing forth fruit in the life of the child of God.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God coming upon the believer to anoint him for spiritual service. It is power to be a witness unto Jesus Christ. Jesus began His public ministry after the Holy Spirit came upon Him. Every believer has been given a ministry to fulfill. Every believer has been given a gift or gifts for the building up of the Body of Christ. This in reality is our Lord working through His Body (the Church).

Without the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, man is attempting to do the work of God in his own strength and wisdom. It is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God that the kingdom of God is built. All true spiritual ministry is by the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit has not been given for man to produce signs and wonders, but signs and wonders will follow the man that believes the gospel and is walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.

IN His Love,
Mike

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Mike

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RICH

I can't speak for Appolus, but think this post was not specifically about the 'feeling' but rather the PURPOSE of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is to STAB the hearts of listeners. Conviction and repentance will be the fruit of this Baptism in the hearts of audiences.

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RICH

Food for thought.

Luke 15v10, 'Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.'

While we major on signs and wonders, the angels major on salvations.

Hi Walter :) You write



"I would caution any reference to "feelings" in the physical body to quantify receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit." And then you write


"One of the immediate signs of being baptised in the Holy Ghost is that the Word of God becomes alive and powerful."

Brother Walter....if you read my post, entitled "stabbed in the heart,' the whole point and thrust of the post was to highlight the fact of why we are Baptized in the Holy Spirit. The very phrase that is quoted "stabbed in the heart,' was to prove this. So here is a post that you completely agree with but you chose to highlight the word "feeling." That is worth pondering in your own walk brother. If you have a relationship with Jesus that is totaly devoid of any feeling, then I simply cannot relate. JOhn the Baptist told us that Jesus had come to Baptize with fire. The Apostles that walked with Jesus after he was risen marvelled at how their "hearts burned within them." Hence the title of one of brother Tozers books "Fellowship of the burning heart." Our faith, true and genuine faith, is not devoid of feeling. Jesus is the lover of my soul. Are you married Walter? Lets say that you are. Do you have any feelings for your wife? I hope that you do. What kind of love would it be if it were devoid of feelings and emotions? Everything that I believe brother, is based on the word of God. I accept nothing if it is not written. That is why it is not too difficult to dismiss Lakeland and Toronto blessings and other so called revivals. They are one extreme end of a spectrum, unfortunatly the opposite end of the spectrum are men who have no feelings at all, they have a lifeless religion, based in their head and not in their heart. We must strike a balance in this day. There are many in the church, because of what they see in Toronto and Lakeland and elswhere that have "thrown the baby out with the bathwater." I caution these men. Jesus is alive and I know Him personaly. I have an "intimate," relationship with Him that invloves every part of who I am and all of this is within the bounds of Scripture. Can I ask you Walter, does the Lord have every part of who you are? Its a very serious question. The Lord wants all of us, not a part of us. ..............Frank

Ruach, you are exactly right......Frank