The Baptism with the Holy Spirit

Mark 16:15-17 - Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;"

Luke 24:49 - Jesus said, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."

Matthew 28:20 - Jesus said, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." ~ Note: So all the things that Jesus commanded to the first believers are still to be taught to us, because the end of the age has not come yet.

Acts 19:1-6 - ... Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." When they heard his, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Now there are 3 different types of speaking in tongues. The people who don't speak in tongues and say it is only for some, only think it is given as one of the spiritual gifts. But that is not the everyday (not that I do it everyday, just whenever I want to pray in tongues I can) praying in tongues that goes with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The 3rd type of speaking in tongues is singing with it.

1 Corinthians 14:1-5 - Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification. ~ Note: This is talking about tongues being one of the spiritual gifts, but I have yet to do that with the interpretation, even though I pray and sing in tongues as a result of being baptized into the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:15 - What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

Acts 8:14-17 - Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. ~ Note: Here you see the Holy Spirit getting transferred from the apostles to others. They were fulfilling "The Great Commission." It wasn't just for them.

Acts 10:44-46 - While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. ~ Note: Even though here it is referred to as a gift instead of the promise, this is not referring to tongues as being one of the spirtual gifts. This is the basic being baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Peter then retold the story:

Acts 11:15-18 - "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"

Acts 1:4,5,8 - And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." ... "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Acts 2:39 - For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.

My friends, if you are a born-again Christian, this promise is for you. Whoever says tongues aren't for today does not know God's word here.

God gives the Holy Spirit upon us, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, in different ways. Some people speak in tongues right away, and some it takes a while. For me it took a little while. When I heard about this, I wanted to have it. I asked for it through prayer, and people laid hands on me to impart it to me, but I just stood there and did nothing and felt kinda stupid. But they told me that not everyone speaks in tongues right away, but it would come. You see, I thought God was going to make it just come out of me. I didn't understand that I had to put the effort of making the sounds come out of me. About 2 weeks later, I found myself speaking in tongues. It was strange at first and I wasn't sure if I really had it, but when I talked and prayed with an older gentleman, he assured me that I had it. As you saw in the Scriptures, you can get it from just hearing God's word or by having someone lay hands on you. As it was for me, you might need to be around it to hear it before you actually start speaking in tongues. If you don't have it, and you have studied the bible, surely you know there has to be more, because God's word says so.