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speaks of this when he told the Corinth ians his speech was in “ dem onstration of the Spirit,” (th e “ cloven tongues” ) and “ of power,” (the “ rushing m ighty w ind ).” The resu lt of the baptism of th e Holy Spirit was, “They were all- filled w ith the Holy Spirit and began to speak w ith o th er tongues, as the Spirit gave them u tteran ce.” In Acts 4, where th ere was a fresh m anifestation of th e Sp irit’s power, they “were filled w ith the Holy Spirit, and spake the Word of God w ith boldness.” Speaking w ith tongues is lim ited to the day o f' Pentecost, the opening of the door to the Gentiles (Acts 10), and the Jews in Acts 19, who evidently had not heard th e Gospel, believing on th e coming Messiah of Jo h n ’s baptism , and who received th e Holy Spirit on confession of th eir faith by w ater baptism , and the laying on of tl;e hands of the Apostles. There is no instance of th e gift of tongues being given to the Gentile be lievers afte r Acts 10. 1 Cor. 13 defi nitely states th a t tongues were to cease when th a t which was perfect had come. So when th e Word of God was com pleted (see Col. 1:25) th e gift of tongues was not needed, and ceased; on th e o th er hand when a Child of God is “ filled w ith th e S p irit” he will “speak the Word of God w ith boldness.” This is a sure sign. Christians are exhorted to be “ filled w ith th e S pirit.” They-are not to pray for th e Spirit. T h at would be pray ing for th a t which all Christians have; for “ if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of H is” (Rom. 8 :9 ). We are not even told to pray for th e filling of th e Spirit. The responsibility is on the Christian. If the old self n atu re is kept in subjection, and the child of God is absolutely surrendered to th e Lord by presenting his body “a living sacrifice,” th e Spirit of God
will fill him. The Holy Spirit cannot fill us jf we allow anything of sin or self in our. life. “ If we confess our sins” and yield ourselves wholly to the Lord, the fulness of th e S pirit and power will be on us. In Ezekiel 47 the w aters came out from the a ltar— th e w aters th a t were to bring “life wherever thew went.” At th e first thousand cubits they reached to the ankles. At the second thousand cubits they reached th e knees. A t the th ird thousand, they were to the loins, and at th e fou rth thousand they were “w aters to swim in, a river th a t could not he crossed.” So in experience, we find the power of the Spirit is mani fested in our first thousand cubits by walking in th e Spirit. Then our knees are reached, and we pray in th e Spirit. Then the w aters rise to the loins, and we are controlled by the Spirit, so ab solutely controlled, th a t “ spirit, soul and body are preserved blameless.” But, in th e fou rth thousand, the power of th e Spirit becomes a “ river to swim in ,” a m ighty to rre n t th a t car ries us on w ith a power th a t is resist less. “For th ere th e glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and stream s, whereon shall go no galley w ith oars,” (hum an effort) “ n either shall gallan t ship p a s s ' thereby,” (hum an glory). And when this fou rth thou sand cubits shall be reached then will be fulfilled th e word of our Lord, “He th a t believeth on Me, out of his belly, (the deep places of his sou l), shall flow rivers of living w aters.” (John 7 :3 8 ). We do not need to pray for th e Holy Spirit, bu t we do need to humble our selves under the m ighty hand of God, and pray th a t all hindrances to His m ighty work in us, and through us, m ight be tak en away. When th e “Well of W ater” springs up, th e “Rivers of Living W ater” will flow out.
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