The Bible predicts that in the last days there will be a mighty outpouring of God's Spirit on all mankind (Joel 2:28-29). The fulfilment of this prophecy began at Pentecost (Acts 2:17) and is now sweeping across the entire world. Many do not understand what is happening.
When we receive Jesus into our hearts, He gives His Holy Spirit to enable us to see the truth of His words and feel the reality of His presence. However, there is a further gift which He gives, usually by laying on of hands and prayer. It is called the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This experience gives an overflow of His power and a closer awareness of His presence. The Bible explains that John the Baptist baptized with water, but Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).
The sign that we have received this baptism is the ability to pray in a language we do not understand, called "tongues". Many people have never heard anyone praying this way. They expect it is someone losing his own control, screaming and making a public spectacle of himself. But this is not true; the person speaks only when he wishes and is in full control. Many people are deeply spiritual without having had this experience, but until the Holy Spirit can use the human tongue to intercede to the Father, our prayers are limited to human wisdom and knowledge.
Satan tries very hard to block this communication from us to God as he cannot understand it. He has tried for 2,000 years to convince Christians that this experience died at Pentecost, but today it has spread like a forest fire into all denominations around the globe. When Jesus' disciples received this baptism, the Bible describes the experience as a rushing of a mighty wind and tongues of fire resting on each person (Acts 2:4). Indeed, the baptism often feels like both of these things.
After receiving this new power, the disciples preached boldly in the streets although prior to this experience they had fled in terror in fear they, too, be killed. Foreigners heard them speaking in their own language, which still sometimes happens today in foreign mission fields. Most often, however, tongues are for praise and prayer to God.
The Apostle Paul said, "I would like every one of you to speak in tongues" (I Cor.14:5 NIV). He received the baptism when Ananias laid hands on him and prayed after he returned from his conversion experience on the way to Damascus. Paul did warn about the misuse of tongues in church services, saying that unbelievers should be instructed in a language they can understand, and proper order be maintained in the church.
The gift of tongues is a sign that the Holy Spirit has been allowed to enter into us in a greater way than at conversion. We could say that a spiritual baby is born at conversion, and the baptism is entrance into God's kindergarten. If properly nurtured by prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other Christians, other gifts will appear such as prophesy, interpretation of tongues, healing, and discernment of spirits. Fruits of the Spirit such as faith, hope, love, and joy will also be evident.
Satan has a counterfeit for all spiritual gifts, but only those involved with Satan worship and the occult will receive this evil counterfeit. But to say God's gift of tongues is evil is speaking against God and is very dangerous. We read, "The Holy Spirit fell on those listening to Peter and there could be no doubt about it, for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God" (Acts 10:44-46).
Paul tells us "We don't even know what we should pray for, nor how to pray as we should, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying as He pleads for us in harmony with God's own will" (Rom.8:26-27 LB). How our world needs this kind of prayer! We wonder how God feels when entire churches refuse to accept this beautiful gift which He wishes to give to His people!
© 1999, Doreen Palmer