subject: Receiving The Baptism of The Holy Spirit [print this page] Receiving The Baptism of The Holy Spirit Receiving The Baptism of The Holy Spirit
Receiving The Baptism of The Holy Spirit
I grew up in a small town where a Baptist or Methodist Church was your choice. My mother was a Baptist so our choice was clearly made for us. She took us when we were just infants so I have no memory of not being there. We loved it and all the friends around who joined usevery Sunday. Our pastor was a bible teacher and he taught us well the facts of the bible. Hewas a short round fellowwith very little hair. Everyone loved him dearly. He was a gentle person who never raised his voice and the only man back then who could make me cry by showing his love. Iwas about fourteen when he passed away. Our little community was shaken from its foundation. Why didGod take away such a great teacher and leave us alone to fend for ourselves? I don't recall ever becoming close to another preacher andReverend Hancock'smemory will always be with me.
I was aSunday School teacher for the teens and I enjoyed it very much. I think I probably learned more than they did because I had to study very hard to stay ahead of them. I always felt there was something missing in myreligion or faith but did not have any idea whatit was. I visited the prisonsand the rest homes but I still had an empty spot inside of me. So I kept the search going for years. I visited all sorts of churches anywhere near where I lived. They were all so cold and empty feeling. Would I ever be able to find whatever it was that I longed so for?
My search had gotten me no where although I didmeet a lot of nice people. I suppose peoplego to one church becoming a part of it just as I had when I was growing up never once thinking about going to another one. Then I saw it! It sat on the left hand side of a small older community where mostly elderly people had lived forever. The white wooden building jumped out at meas I drove past trying to see the service hours posted outside. There were aboutten or twelve cars parked along the edge of the road so I had no problem parking along with them. I had arrived about half hour late for their service but I would just enter quietly and sit near the back. Perhaps no one would noticeme.
The children were all singing at the top of their voices and clapping their hands. The music was up beat to my surprise. They actually had drums and an electric guitar.All of a sudden a man took offrunning around the inside of the church. What in the world kind of church had I walked into? I certainly had never been in a church as loud or as active as this one. It didn't take long for the little group of people to pull me in with their love. The empty stop was becoming smaller and smaller. I found myself tapping my toes before long keeping beat to the music. Then it happened!
One Sunday night Iwas sitting near the back and the service wasdrawing to a close. Everyone was standing singing the songs of praise. Most had their eyes closed as they worshipped. Suddenly I felt a warm hand upon my forehead. The longer the hand remained thewarmer my face became. Something was happening to me but I had no clue what it was. I had been taught about the laying on of hands but I have never been taught about the baptism of theHoly Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.The Baptist church that I had attended all of my life did not teach about it.In fact they taught that speaking in tongues was of the devil.
My mind raced as the hand remained on my head. What would my dear mother think of me in a church such as this? What will all of my friends think?My prayer had been to God that I wanted any and everything if it came only from Him. My lips were moving in silent prayer when all of a sudden my tongue just went wild and I had no control over it. It was rattling on some sort of language I did not know. My ears were hearing for the first time the gift of tongues. God had given me the gift of speaking in tongues. Hallelujah!
An older man behind me leaned over and said to me " Honey half of this world would give their right arm to have received what you just got!" He was right. My empty spot was gone and I was filled from head totoe with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost! God had chased away my pride and gave me just what I needed.
For years I had let pride stand in the way of my worshipping and my receiving from God. This little Pentecostal church and its beloved people loved me. I'm sure God heard all of our prayers and He answered mine that night.
