Inhiskingdom@aol.com

Many Christians seem to be swayed by what they hear even though it is
not scriptural.  For instance the filling of the Holy Ghost.  When we look
at what happened at Pentecost we find that all that were filled were given the
utterance of speaking in the tongue that the Holy Spirit gave them.  This is also
seen in Acts 10 44-47 where Cornelius and his friends and relatives were
given the same gift as the disciples and believers at Pentecost for it states in
Acts 10-47 which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?  How did they
know; 'for they heard them speak in tongues'.

Notice Acts 19 1-7, even the disciples of John that Paul came across
did not even know there was a Holy Ghost and when they received Him, what
happened?  They heard them speak in tongues.

In Acts 8 12-21 the people believed what Philip was preaching and were
baptized including Simon but none received the Holy Ghost until they
sent for Peter and John to pray for them that they 'might' receive the Holy Ghost.  So
do we receive Him upon acceptance of Jesus?   They all did except Simon and
yet he was a believer and was baptized.  How did they know?  Did Simon want to
pay for something that could not be seen or heard as the utterance of tongues
was described at Pentecost by Peter in Acts 2-33, when all the believers
received Him?

So what evidence do we have of being filled with the Holy Ghost or
receiving Him?  We are born 'of' the Spirit, we are not *filled with* the Spirit
when we accept Christ.  We receive Him when we receive the evidence of being
given the utterance of the language that the Holy Spirit gives us when we are
filled.


Copyright 2005 by Norb Hackmann