FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
After Jesus death and resurrection He returned to his disciples and in John 20:21,22 they were born again. From that time on they were no longer just servants of God but sons and daughters with the ability to enter into the throne of grace with boldness and talk to the Father openly.
There was still more God wanted to give them, to equip them for their work. Jesus said in Acts 1:4,5 “Wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” And in Acts 1:8 Jesus went
on to say, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and even to the remotest part of the earth.” As Christians they had the authority but lacked the power needed to fulfill the task ahead. In Acts 2:4 we see where they received that power, “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”
We find another example of this in Acts 8:5,12,14-18, “And Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. “For he had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles hands, he offered them money,...” Notice that Simon saw something when the people were filled with the Spirit. There must have been an outward sign. When Peter was speaking to Simon about it in Acts 8:21 he said, “you have not part or portion in this matter...” that word MATTER is the greek word logos which is translated in other places as UTTERANCE. “You have not part or portion in this utterance...” This gives us more clarity as to what Simon saw.
Another example of people being filled with the Spirit is in Acts 10:44-46 “While Peter was still speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message and all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.”
Also, in Acts 9:17 Paul was filled with the Spirit and we know he spoke with tongues because in I Cor. 14:18 he said “I thank my God I speak in tongues more than you all.”
In our last example of being filled with the Spirit in Acts 19:6 we find “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.”
Though many regard tongues as minor, the bible plainly shows that in every example of people being filled with the Spirit they spoke with tongues. Tongues is a very powerful way of enhancing and developing your relationship with God. Being filled with the Spirit is the door into the supernatural, for there will be no manifestations of the Gifts of the Spirit without it.
The power of being filled with the Spirit is available to every Christian that desires it. For it is a free gift that God longs to give all born of his Spirit. By no means is it a place to stop but rather a beginning of many more blessings, that God has for us.
So If you have been born again you can be filled with the Holy Spirit. If you haven't been go to the home page and pray the prayer to become a child of God then you will be ready to receive. When you were born again the Holy Spirit came on the inside, being filled with the Spirit is just giving more of yourself to the Spirit of God. If you are born again you qualify to be filled.
Secondly you are filled with the Spirit by faith. You believe you receive the Spirit when you pray. So when you ask to receive the Spirit believe that you did.
After you pray expect the Spirit to move on your vocal chords and put supernatural words on your lips. The Spirit gives us the words but we have to speak. Just like when you get a word from your mind your mind doesn't make you say it your lips have to speak it. So when you get a word from the Spirit it comes up from the inside but you have to speak it. Jesus explained it this why "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his belly will flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38)" Then in Acts 2:4 it says "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance" (or prompted them to speak). Notice who did the speaking "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak" they spoke the Spirit gives the words and we speak it out.
Just know when you ask God to be filled with the Spirit he will not give you something else. Luke 11:11-13 says "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
So if you desire to be filled with the Spirit and have already made Jesus the Lord of your life breathe in, and tell God, "I am receiving the Holy Spirit right now by faith" Now don't speak a word in your natural language. Just relax and boldly, lift your voice and make those supernatural sounds that want to come, working your tongue and lips as you would if you where speaking English. Just expect the Holy Spirit will give you the words. Your tongue will just seem to want to say something so just say it. The Holy Spirit gives the utterance the person is the one that does the talking. Speak any sounds it seems easy to speak, regardless of what they are. That's faith. Lift your voice and trust God for guidance. Go right on speaking, praising God with those supernatural words until a free clear language comes and you have the inner assurance that you have received.
Now that you have been filled with the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, speak in that heavenly language everyday. Jude 1:20 says "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit."
Be sure to find a church that believes in being filled with the Spirit if you are not already in one. Hebrews 10:23-25 says "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
If you have any questions you can email us at info@friendinjesus.com