Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

The Comforter Pt.2

What a privilege it is just to serve and represent the Lord. As Scott was praying there, that spirit that he was praying in--we just heard word back from Africa and how, as Scott was there, some of the young men [are] still referring to ministry that he brought to them and how it's encouraged their lives and changed them. Thank God for each one of the gifts among us. Amen? Each one of you that has gone and touched lives there, you continue just to minister here. It's a high calling that's on each of our lives as we just speak the wisdom of God; sometimes not even knowing--just a word of encouragement, a biblical principle--and it strengthens the Body of Christ. It edifies us to go on and fight the next battle, praise God. So don't ever minimize your role in the body and what it is that God has called you to do.

We want to continue with this study in looking at the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the understanding of God's great gift to us of the Comforter. Jesus said, "I'm going to leave you a gift; I'm going to leave you another Comforter." The disciples, at that time, were wanting to keep Him back. He said, "I'm going to be leaving. I'm going back to the Father," and they said, "How can we live without your presence?" He said, "You're not going to be without My presence. My presence is going to manifest itself in a better way. I was with you physically; the Comforter is going to come and be with you spiritually. I could be separated from you by time and space; He's going to dwell within you. He's going to be made one with you. And He'll never leave you, and you'll never be forsaken. You will not be comfortless." And you know, in the time that we're living right now, I think that's probably one of the great promises that we can rest on. It's a world of turmoil, confusion, the perversion that's taking place of truth and justice--men calling good evil and evil good--and yet God has equipped us to live in this hour by the power of His Spirit. That's the rest that we have as we embrace the fullness of this great gift.

Turn over to John's gospel for just a moment, Chapter 14. I want to just read a couple of passages there, and then we're going to talk about the fullness of the gift as it's been promised to us. We saw this morning in Isaiah 11 what the purpose of the Holy Spirit was as He came upon Jesus without measure: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the true apprehension of the fear of the Lord. And this is what the Holy Spirit is doing in each one of our lives right now. He's constantly bringing us this wisdom, this understanding, this anointed power, this fear of the Lord. In a day when God is being mocked, we're a people that humble ourselves truly before Him, as the utterance came forth this evening. We understand the majesty of God, when everyone around us is, frankly, just deifying man.

It's all in the working of the Holy Spirit, because we're no better naturally than anybody else, but we are illuminated. We're renewed; we're creatures who have come out of darkness into the marvelous light of God. And yet, if we fail to hear this voice, if we move back from the illumination of His Word, we're going to fall back into that same darkness, and we're going to reason like they reason. We're going to fear like they fear. We're going to trust in our own strength and in our own resources instead of the presence of God, because that's the tendency of natural man. Unless the Spirit is increasing in control of your life, then you're losing this race that we're in, this battle that we're waging. So the question tonight is, are you increasing in the grace and the strength of God? Are you coming to a greater reliance on God's wisdom and not man's and not your own? In a world that's constantly mocking faith, and yet asking you to live by it based upon their wisdom, their philosophy, their technological advances, which wisdom are you choosing to live by? That's what we're really talking about. One of the main reasons that I wanted to spend a little bit of time on understanding the person of the Holy Spirit in us is because of the warfare for your minds that's taking place. How subtly the spirit of this age, the spirit of antichrist, is eroding simple faith within the churches, within the professed Body of Christ, and we're living now by our own strength, we're living by our corporate strength, and not relying upon the person of the Holy Spirit. Individually, each one of us needs that anointing and needs that personal relationship and the awareness that God has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness through the knowledge of Himself.

So in John, Chapter 14, as Jesus is revealing Himself in the famous verse, verse 6, " . . . I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. [He says,] If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me . . . ? [Don't you understand that I and the Father are one?]" He goes down, and He begins to reveal how this oneness is going to manifest itself in each of our lives. Verse 15, the commandment, "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter . . . " Now, here's something that's very important as we're talking about the person of the Holy Spirit. Listen to what Jesus relates this to: obedience to the commandments and love of His lordship. This great treasure of the person of the Holy Spirit, His gentle voice speaking to us, His incomprehensible wisdom manifesting in us, is not something that He's going to just lavish upon you to make life easy, to give you great capacity to succeed in life, but to effect the Kingdom of God. The person of the Holy Spirit manifests Himself for the sole purpose of glorifying Father in the name of Jesus Christ, and that's the context of this fourteenth chapter of John.

Read this chapter over, and reread it, and understand what your calling is and what our purpose is in this life. He said, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter [one of the same kind], that he may abide with you for ever; [And now He's referred to, verse 17.] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither [has experienced] knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." The world has no knowledge of His presence--can't understand the wisdom that you and I live by. Verse 17 says--look--" . . . the world cannot receive [Him] . . . "

Now, many of you, we're going to admonish you to receive the free gift of the Holy Spirit. It's a free gift; it's to everyone that believes. What is it, then, that keeps us from receiving the Holy Spirit? " . . . the world cannot [what?] receive [Him] . . . " Now, don't mistake what I'm saying if you've been seeking the Lord and seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and you haven't at this time, and you're thinking, "Oh, man! Am I still in my sins? Am I not regenerated?" That's not what I'm saying, but what I'm saying is, you're approaching it with a worldly wisdom. Somewhere in you there's some kind of a problem that thinks, I have to understand this; I have to earn this. It's a free gift. You don't have to comprehend it. If, in simplicity, you will come to the Father, He will baptize you in His Spirit according to His Word, praise God! Put aside all merit, put aside all understanding, put aside all fears. As you're going to see momentarily, if you ask your Father for bread, you're not going to get stone--for fish, you're not going to get a serpent. How much more shall those that ask Father for the Spirit receive the free gift? So right now, as we're going to be talking about the infilling of the Holy Spirit, put aside all worldly wisdom, all natural understanding, put away all attempts at comprehending (Should I; shouldn't I? How do I? I haven't yet; is something wrong with me?) Put it aside, all of the worldly wisdom--the world cannot receive the Spirit of God--and put yourself into the realm, now, of faith as a little child, and prepare to receive what God has for you tonight.

Jesus speaking here says in verse 20, "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, [verse 21] and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. [You're seeking God; you're keeping the Word--He's going to manifest Himself to you.] Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send [look at it] in my name . . . "

As we're going to pray with you, you're going to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit (the gift) in the name of Jesus. It's been paid for by His name, by His blood. It's by His authority, it's for His glory, that God is going to fill you. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you . . . " This great promise of the Holy Spirit that Jesus said is going to come and fulfill His ministry and be representative of Himself, this gift that comes to us because of our pursuit of God and our obedience to the Word, this gift that comes to us as we seek the Father in the name of Jesus for an enabling to represent Him and serve Him better, is available to every one of us. The world can't comprehend it; the worldly church can't comprehend it. Tragically, it's lost to the majority of professed Christians in our day. Who are we, then? How is it that we are able to understand this, and some of the greatest biblical scholars are not able to? Because these things are spiritually discerned--not intellectually comprehended or apprehended, but spiritually discerned, and it's the testimony that the Spirit of God is alive and abiding in you, and now there's to be a fullness of this and a fulfillment of the promise that we call the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Now go to Joel, Chapter 2, for just a second. For a number of you who have been around--some of you have been around for years and never been filled with the Holy Spirit, and there's no reason for you not to experience the fullness of God. " . . . the world cannot receive [Him] . . . "--worldly wisdom cannot receive Him, but what you need to get a hold of tonight, some of you who have thought about it, some of you who have sought and not received, some of you who have wondered what it's all about, here's the Word of God on the subject. It starts here with Joel, Chapter 2, verse 28, "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."

Now, how do we know that that prophecy of Joel is really applicable to us in our generation? When I say generation, I don't just mean the twenty-first century church; I'm talking about the church age, or the era that's taken place here over the last two thousand years. Chapter two of the book of Acts tells us this [verse 1], "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." Now, why? Because Jesus said, "I want you to go back to Jerusalem and tarry and wait for the promise." Go back to Jerusalem and tarry, and wait for the promise. Which promise? We're in chapter 1, verse 4, " . . . [that that is] of the Father . . . For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Verse 8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me . . . " This is why Jesus wanted them to be filled with the Spirit: to be able to live a life that's a witness of His lordship; not just to preach the gospel, but to live the gospel.

So they go back to Jerusalem. They're tarrying, as we know, and Chapter 2 says, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues [they began to speak with other tongues], as the Spirit gave them utterance." "And they were all amazed and marvelled, [verse 7] saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue . . . ?" "And they were all amazed, [verse 12 goes on and says] . . . What meaneth this? [Some sat by and began to mock and others said these guys are drunk.] But Peter, standing up [verse 14] . . . and said unto them . . . these [men] are not drunken . . . But this [verse 16] is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And [he said] it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams."

The fulfillment of the promise of God--" . . . this is that . . ."--and much of the church today is not experiencing what God has promised to every believer. This is a promise that's to you, to your children, and to all that are afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call [Acts 2:39]. We need to realize, then, that this is God's desire for each one of us. " . . . this is that . . . "--" . . . ye shall receive power . . . "--this is that!

So throughout the Scriptures, then, we begin to see the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Matthew, chapter 3, verse 11--it's interesting that John the Baptist made reference to those that were seeking the Kingdom, and they realized that God was doing a new thing in that age, that John was truly a prophet. In Matthew 3, verse 11, John the Baptist says, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." Now, this is important for us to understand, practically. Jesus is the baptizer. As you seek Him tonight, as you come into His presence, you need to understand that He is the one that commanded you to be filled, and He is the one that said, "I will baptize you." Whatever we ask the Father in His name, He's going to do. The trust of His lordship, the trust of His gifting, His call on our lives--you're coming to Jesus tonight to receive the free gift that He has purchased by His blood. Luke 11:13 gives us a little more insight into this. Jesus again speaking says, "If ye then, being evil [carnal], 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?" We're asking the Father; Jesus is doing the baptizing.

Now, don't get all hung up on a formula or a method. What I'm trying to paint for you as a picture is this: Father has a free gift to give you; Jesus is the one that administers it to you. This is a done deal! This is a sure thing. It's what God wants for you. Why don't you have it? Why aren't we filled; why aren't we full? Because, really, most of us haven't understood the significance and what really is involved in being filled with the Holy Spirit. Some of us pray in tongues for no other reason than that we're too lazy to think. That's not the reason to be filled with the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14 says when you pray in the spirit, you give thanks well. There's no purer praise than a man that's praying under the unction of the Holy Ghost. Have you been aware of that, those of you that are Spirit-filled, those of you that pray in other tongues? Are you aware, many times as you're praying in the spirit, of the unadulterated worship and praise that's going to Father, the sweet smelling savor, that sweet altar of incense, that is miraculously, supernaturally ascending to the nostrils of God? Do you understand that's what's going on? Then maybe some of our praying in the spirit shouldn't be so ho-hum. Maybe there needs to be a sobriety in our prayer time and not just a casual clatter, but an awareness of a supernatural act of worship that's taking place inside the temple of God. We're talking about perfecting His temple, about giving God thanks well, about representing Him supernaturally. Those priests were very serious when they went in there to administer that altar of incense, and we should be very serious when that incense ascends from our innermost being in worship and prayer, and not be lazy with our praying and our speaking in tongues. When you pray in the spirit, when you're praying in tongues, you're giving thanks well.

1 Corinthians 14 goes on and tells us when we're praying in tongues, we're praying according to the will of God. You are always--when you're praying in the spirit, when the Holy Ghost is praying through you in other tongues, you are always praying the will of God, the mind of God. It's guaranteed answers to prayer; the assurance that I'm asking according to His will. "And if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if we know He hears us, whatsoever we ask, then we know that we have the petitions that we've desired of Him" [1 John 5:14-15]. The guaranteed answer to prayer, and you know what? The Scripture goes on and talks about these different aspects. It says we don't know what to pray for as we ought, but the Holy Spirit prays through us with groanings which cannot be uttered, Romans tells us.

You know, we don't know what to pray for! We don't know what's needed most in our lives! We don't know what our children need the most! Most of us, when we pray about our kids, we're prejudiced in our praying. We need to pray purely for our children, that God would mold their lives and strengthen them, and whatever needs to manifest in their lives would manifest for His glory! Pray in faith. Pray knowing that you're praying the will of God. Even though we know we're praying the will of God, you still have to have faith that you're praying the will of God for it to come to pass, because without faith it's impossible to please God. What does that mean? When I'm praying in tongues, I by faith am expecting something to change--in me, in the circumstances around me. When you're through praying in the spirit, do you get up saying, "Praise God! That thing's been taken care of! Got her done"? That's how you ought to get up from your prayer time--assured that we've prayed according to the will of God. So when I'm praying in tongues, I'm giving thanks well; when I'm praying in tongues, I'm praying according to the will of God.

Then the Scripture goes on in 1 Corinthians 14 and says when I'm praying in tongues, I am edifying myself, or I'm being built up spiritually. You'll be able to tell the difference of whether you've been just making noise or praying in the spirit by when you rise up. Are you renewed--are you refreshed? Are you built up--are you stronger? Do you have illumination? Are you excited about the ministry? Are you looking forward to going out and being a witness to Him both in word and in deed, praise God? That's how you know when you've been in the presence of God, when you've prayed in the Holy Ghost. The evidence of fruit, the evidence of the gifts, the evidence of peace--"Peace I give you." The Holy Spirit, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, brings you to peace, man! I'm right with God. I know what course I'm on. My steps are being ordered. I'm hearing the voice, "This is the way; walk in it." All of these things that bring us assurance. " . . . how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" Jesus is the baptizer; Father is the giver of the gift. [That] leaves one other person, doesn't it? You've got to receive it. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Now, what is our part? Jesus told them to go and to tarry and wait for the promise and that they would be filled with power from on high. There's a promise, there's a purpose, and there's the power. "But ye shall receive power . . . " Lambano dunamis. The word "receive" there, lambano, is not passive; it's active. It really means, "You shall take power." There's something to be done on your part. You have to want this. You have to reach out and receive and take this gift that God is offering you. The Bible says they were filled--"You shall take power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you"--"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak . . . as the Spirit gave them [words to speak]." They began to speak. It didn't say, "And the Holy Ghost came upon them, grabbed their mouth, banged their gums up and down, and noise came out." That's what some people think is going to happen. It's not like that; it's by faith. As the Spirit of God fills us, we by faith begin to speak as the Spirit gives us utterance, or words to speak. It all happens simultaneously. "Well, how do I know it's going to happen?" Faith--it's faith. It will happen. It's happened to everybody for two thousand years. What makes you different? Amen? I like what I heard an old evangelist say years ago. You know, out of our innermost being shall flow forth rivers of living water. He said there's only one thing that keeps most people from speaking in tongues and those rivers of living water: just dry lips. Have you ever noticed how you can fill a glass of water above the rim? How many of you have ever seen that? That's cool, man. You can fill [a glass with] water, and it will actually stack up above the rim at times, if that rim is dry--and I'm not talking feet; I'm talking about the fact that it just doesn't overflow. You say, "Man, that glass--look how full that glass is." It's not full, is it, until it can't hold any more? If you were to drop just a pinpoint of water anywhere on the rim of that glass, the water is coming out. That's where our faith is. That's where we begin to speak. That's our part. "And they spoke as the Spirit provided the utterance"--was the supernatural source of the wisdom, the power, the enabling from there.

So we all have a part. We do the speaking; the Spirit is the source. Now, people, for years they've said, "I don't understand. Why a phenomenon like this?" Some have tried to explain it saying, "Well, it's not really the tongues of angels; it's not really a heavenly language. These guys just spoke natural languages that they hadn't yet learned, and it was a missions endeavor." They go back to the book of Acts, and it says, "How is it that each one of us hears these speaking in our languages?" I believe that that's a lot of what happened there on the day of Pentecost, because it was a missionary effort that was taking place. But you can't apply that interpretation solely to it because then 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 make no sense. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not [love], . . . I [have] nothing," Paul says (1 Corinthians 13:1-2). It doesn't make any sense. You can't just have that interpretation. Those men did speak in understandable languages that they hadn't yet learned. I believe very clearly that that's possible. A friend of mine had that happen to himself. How many of you have read John Garlock's book, Before We Kill and Eat You? A couple have. One. You can tell it was a bestseller. There were more than that. But one of the things that happened to John when he was in Africa, as they captured him, he began to pray in the spirit, and it was a recognizable language--"These are the men of the Most High God"--and fear struck the hearts of those. I've heard of numerous occasions that this has taken place over the years, and the Spirit can then speak through us in known languages that we've not learned, but that's not the initial physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. That is a phenomenon; it is something that occurred on the day of Pentecost. It caused each one of them--turn back to that passage again in Acts [Chapter 2], and let me just show you something.

I don't know why I'm taking time for this, but we'll do it. "How is it [they said down in verses 7 through 12] that we hear these men speaking in our languages? Are they not all Galilaeans?" Verse 11, "Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues [say the next phrase] the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?" The wonderful works of God--"For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, [1 Corinthians 14] but unto [say it] God . . . [and] givest thanks well . . . [underlining added]." So we realize, then, that those that would try to make this exclusively this missionary event don't listen to what Paul says in Corinthians. "They that speak in unknown tongues speak not unto men, but unto God . . . and they give thanks well"--the wonderful works of God. It's the same motive, but you see, one was to provide edification to the community; the other was to edify self, Paul says in Corinthians. He brings another gift into the church in Corinthians 12 and 14 that edifies the body, and that is prophesy. "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort" (1 Corinthians 14:3), but " . . . he that speaketh in [tongues] speaketh not unto men, but unto God" (1 Corinthians 14:2). "I thank God that I pray with tongues more than all of you [Paul says]. But in the church I'd rather speak five words with understanding, that the body might be edified" [1 Corinthians 14:18-19].

So he brings a restraint on the Corinthian church because everybody is just speaking in tongues, and people are going, "What's going on?" Visitors would come in and go, "What's going on?" because everybody is speaking in tongues and nobody can understand what's going on. So he says, "Here's how it's going to work: the wisdom of God. When the gifts of the Spirit are manifesting, you can speak by two or three, and there must be an interpretation, because when you come together, I want the body edified." So that's how it manifests in our corporate gatherings, but when you're alone in prayer, you speak unto God, you pray in the spirit; you don't need to have an interpretation. There are false teachings around today that say you need to pray for an interpretation in your prayer closet. An interpretation of what? The mysteries of God? Things you don't understand anyway.

Do we need the baptism in the Holy Spirit in this age? Have we been so influenced by this move in Christendom that's building its churches on mass mailings, on seeker-friendly sales techniques, or do we still believe that in our generation we're a people that need to realize "It's not by might, and it's not by power, but it's by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts" [Zechariah 4:6]? More than ever, we need the infilling of the Holy Spirit. More than ever, we need the gifts of healings, the working of miracles! More than ever, we need prophesy and tongues and interpretation of tongues. Beloved, we're living in a day when the gifts are disappearing, the move of the Holy Spirit--find a church today where the gifts of the Spirit are biblically in operation. You either have no recognition at all or some type of perverted circus environment that's solely for the purpose of glorifying man and fulfilling their spiritual jollies. If ever there was a day, I believe that a people that will be jealous for the presence of God's Spirit and the purposeful, pure application of His gifts by the Holy Spirit, that God will visit those people. And I think we should be that people, praise God, that hungers for the visitation of God in our midst--an awareness of a holy place, a reverence, a fear of God, the ability for God to supernaturally come and speak in our midst that would edify us and comfort our hearts as we're being cast down in this generation, that would come and heal us in the midst of a world that's fighting disease in every way and losing! People that would see God glorified as those in our midst are miraculously lifted up, demons cast out.

What a demonic age we live in! Do you think that all of this perversion that we face on a daily basis is just natural? Every perverted picture, every perverted program on TV, every perverted ideology, is inundated with demonic forces that are manifesting in the heavenlies! What weapons are we using in our warfare against these to keep them from assaulting our own minds? I'm not trying to promote fear. I'm just trying to make you aware of the fact [that] we need the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen? If we're going to go out there and not be vexed, we need the power of the Holy Ghost. If we're not going to be seduced with humanism and the world's philosophy, we need the wisdom of God and understanding of the Scriptures, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, the Scripture says. That's what's so vitally needed in our generation as God prepares us as ministers on His behalf. Powerful word that He has for us in our generation.

So practically, that's what the receiving of the Holy Spirit is all about. That's how you receive it. You ask the Father in the name of Jesus; you by faith believe that Jesus baptizes you; the Spirit of God, according to the promise, possesses your life, manifests the purpose of God; you begin to speak in faith; the Spirit gives you words to speak; and now you're giving thanks to God well. Now you're praying and edifying yourself. Now you're praying according to the will of God. Now you're being endued from on high with power to become a witness unto Him. Now you've got something to work with that will give you capacity to be victorious in those areas where you've been struggling.

Then John 16 says, " . . . the Spirit [verse 13] of truth, is come, he will guide you [even further] into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." The Holy Spirit's guidance--when it says He will show you things to come, it's not talking about a greater understanding of eschatology. It's not necessarily talking about words of knowledge that reveal to us future events. It's talking about an understanding of the purpose of God. You realize what's working in your midst. He's giving you the knowledge that this produces that--if I do this, I'm going to have that result. He shows us, by faith, that this is what's coming based upon the promises of God. We're not surprised; that day doesn't come upon us, because we're living in obedience to the Word of God, and we know what's going to come. We know what's in men's hearts. We know what the general purpose of God is. We understand what's coming because we have spiritual discernment now of the promises of God. This day isn't going to take us unawares, this day that we're in.

Are you conscious of what's happening, the generation? Do you realize how close we are? We talked about this in Men's Breakfast. We are just one [Pastor snaps his fingers] scratch of the pen away from having no rights in this country to speak the name of Jesus. It's being taken from us on every hand, and then what are you going to do? We've already shared with you that according to the state, it is very obvious, your children are not yours; they belong to the state. What are you going to do? I don't think we have to go and make a big deal out of this, but, you know, it's already against the law to speak the biblical principle and truth of God's statement towards homosexuality. It's against the law. It's against the law for me to stand in this pulpit and say that homosexuality is sin and that it's under the judgment of God and that God's judgment upon it was death. That's against the law, and so I can't say that. And here we are! What are you going to do? Is there the power in you to stand in this generation? That's what we're desiring for each one of you: to be filled and to have that comfort and that peace; the awareness that as many of us as are being led by the Spirit of God, we are the sons of God; to realize that as the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God--to you, to your children, to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call--that's who the promise is to.

Now, we could go through the Scriptures and show you that every time people were baptized with the Holy Spirit, they spoke with other tongues. Every time it's revealed in the book of Acts with the exception of one, and it's implied there. But we're living in a day when people say, "Well, you know, you don't really have to because it's by faith." What they're really saying is, "You know, it's really kind of not acceptable in society today, and because it's not intellectually understood, we need to come up with a doctrine that doesn't really embrace that." I don't understand this myself; I don't understand it. I mean, I understand all of the principles. I understand all of the purposes. I understand the method, but I don't understand why God chose this, except for the one statement in Isaiah that seems that God constantly will take those things that men would call foolishness and hold it up against them for the purpose of keeping this great mystery to His church, this great privilege to His church. So here we are, a people set aside that God wants to visit. This is that spoken by the prophet Joel.

We're going to pray for many of you tonight that have never been filled with the Holy Spirit, and God is going to fill most of you. Some of you won't receive, necessarily, tonight. You should, but if you don't, then you should receive it on the way home--tonight. Last time we prayed for people, I like what happened. One couple just went away to seek God. Instead of going to spend time at the beach, they went away to pray, and one of them was filled with the Holy Spirit on their retreat to seek God. Some of you ladies gather together early in the morning to go out and exercise. Why don't you gather early in the morning to seek the Holy Spirit? How aware are you of the necessity of being filled? Not for a badge of merit, but it enables you to supernaturally bring more glory to God, to give Him His praise, to keep His commandments, to love one another. It's God's desire for you. It's His promise. It's His command: "Go to Jerusalem and tarry, and I will send you the promise of the Father." It wasn't left up [to them to decide]: "Well, I don't know if I'm interested." Yes, you are. "And you will receive power, and you will be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth."

Father, we thank You tonight for Your presence. We thank You, Lord, for Your promises, and we just come to receive what You have commanded us to receive and to be filled with Your great free gift. John said, "I baptize with water, but He's coming after me that's greater than I am. He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire." "Go to Jerusalem and tarry and receive the promise." The Holy Spirit filled them on Pentecost while they were praying. At Cornelius's house the Holy Spirit filled them while Peter was preaching. You see, some of you could be filled right now before I'm through even sharing this discourse if you're seeking God. Just begin to seek God. That's what happened to me as a young person. I listened to all these facts. I had sought the Lord prior to that to be filled with the Holy Spirit in one prayer service, and I didn't [get filled]. It was just kind of--nobody had instructed me along these lines. I just saw that it was something that people did, and I wanted it. People prayed and I didn't receive. Then a man came, Arnie Vick came, and he taught along these same lines. I sat there on the second row of that church, at Northeast Assembly, and I thought, "That makes sense. That's the Word of God, praise God. That's for me. In the name of Jesus I receive that, Father." And I just began to pray in other tongues sitting right there in my seat.

While they yet spake, the Spirit of God filled them. During prayer, during the preaching, in the time of intercession, the place was shaken where they were gathered, and they were all filled again with the Holy Ghost. On another occasion they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. There are many different methods, there are many different circumstances, but it's always the same. It's by faith seeking the fullness of God, wanting all that God has, and believing the promise and just receiving it freely, and then entering in and doing your part. Being willing to be a fool if necessary. More foolish--if you think this is foolish, wait till you see me tomorrow, praise God! I just want to worship God. I just want to dance before Him with all my might. I want to praise Him with all of my being. I want to flow out of me rivers of living water, praise God! What does it take? Whatever it takes, I want more of God.

So let's just stand before the Lord tonight. Those of you that are filled with the Spirit, you begin to pray and just seek God. Those of you that would desire to be filled, turn to somebody next to you that you know, and say, "Just lay hands on me and pray." Let's believe God to fill us tonight with the Spirit. "I want to know the power and the presence of God. I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit." Then just begin to worship Him and praise Him, and He will give you a new language that you've never learned, praise God! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! You initiate it! You turn to somebody and say, "I want to be filled with the Spirit. I want the fullness of God tonight! Pray for me." Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Lord, we thank You for the unction! We thank You for the anointing! We thank You for the privilege of worshipping You! Glory to God! Glory to God!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! And they spoke! Hallelujah! Lord, fill us. Oh, Father, fill me with Your Spirit. Lord, I ask You to fill me in the name of Jesus! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Oh, glory to God! Hallelujah! Just worship Him! Just worship Him! Praise Him in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Oh, glory to God! Glory to God! He wants you to know His fullness. Receive that full gift tonight. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Lord, by Your Spirit--oh, Lord, fill them with Your Spirit. Breathe upon us, Lord, and refresh Your people. Some of you need to be refilled tonight. Let the place be shaken tonight, in the name of Jesus, as God refills you, as you're refreshed. Hallelujah! Give us power, Lord, to be witnesses unto You. Glory, glory, glory! Hallelujah! Some of you young people, you just reach out and take a hold of the presence of God. "The young men shall see visions"--God wants to use you for His Kingdom! Hallelujah! God wants to use you young people to shake the kingdom of darkness. Jesus, as You baptize Your children in the Holy Spirit--refresh us, Father. Hallelujah! Yes, Lord. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! "And they spoke as the Spirit gave them words to speak." Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Glory to God! Oh, we delight in You, Lord.

As we get ready to sing this chorus, some of you who've been filled, we're going to give you a chance to testify here in just a moment. Just rejoice in the goodness of God and in His presence. As we sing this, just worship Him and receive the fullness of His Spirit. Some of you who were praying and maybe didn't receive right then, you'll receive as we're singing this chorus, praise God. Let's sing it together and worship Him. "Lord, I thirst . . . "

Just worship Him. Just thank Him for His presence here tonight. Thank Him for what He has done in your life, His visitation. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! "And you shall receive power and be witnesses to Me." Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Glory to You, Father. You're so good, Lord. Hallelujah! Be glorified. Be glorified. Hallelujah! We give You the praise, Father.

Anybody tonight that for the first time received the infilling of the Holy Spirit and wants to minister and thank God for it--I don't know if there's anybody here that received tonight or not. Anybody? Here--praise God. Amen. Anybody else? Glory to God. Hallelujah! How many of you have not been filled with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, and you were seeking tonight and believing God to fill you? Let me see your hands. Hold them up high. Praise God. Look around, those of you that are close to these people. These are the ones that you can get with and say, "Okay, we're praying. We're going to seek God. This is ours, and we're not turning it loose." Amen? Praise God!

Exciting. Just share what the Lord has done for you tonight. [Congregant shares what the Lord did.] Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Amen. Thank God for it. Amen. Just thank the Lord, praise God. Hallelujah! Glory to God. Those of you that were asking Father to fill you, there's only the one thing you need to understand: it's a free gift; you can't earn it, but you do have to pursue it and you do have to do your part, praise God. And there is that aspect of letting the worship pour out, and you begin to speak and the Spirit will give you the words to speak, praise God.

Father, we believe that each one of these seeking will know Your presence and Your fullness in these next days that are ahead, Father. Not weeks, not months--days, Father, as they press in to know You and hunger for Your power and Your anointing, for it's unto each, Father, the free gift. The mandate to be witnesses in Your name is upon us, and we ask You to equip us now for that, in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Hallelujah!

Turn to the person next to you and say, "Be filled with the Spirit." Praise God. Amen. Go in peace; God's love go with you.

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