The Explanation of Speaking with Tongues

Thank the Lord. If you have your Bibles and would open with me this morning to the book in the Old Testament, the book of Joel, chapter number two, and verse number 28. Thank you all for coming out this morning on a day that is less than idea for travel. Of course, I don't know today I don't know today whether the roads are dangerous because they are slippery or the roads are dangerous because there's people that don't know how to drive on these roads. Amen. So, I don't know that I'm going to pray, brother Perry, for the roads today as much as I can pray for the people that u if you don't let me let me operate in the gift of wisdom. If you don't know how to drive on snow, don't. All right. What wasn't that deep this morning? If you have your Bibles, book of Joel, chapter 2, and verse number 22. Um, God is so good. God is so good. And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Today's Bible lesson. Keep your Bibles handy. paper, pen. But today's Bible lesson is the explanation of speaking in tongues. The explanation, the explanation of speaking in tongues. Father, I love you this morning and I thank you, God, for all that you've done. Thank you, Lord, for the people that are here today. I pray for those that are watching by way of the web. I pray the same anointing, God, that we feel here, they will feel in their homes. Lord, anoint your servant today, Lord. It is your will that we praise you. It is your will that we gather. It is your will that I minister the word today. Lord, have your way upon this. Open our understanding in Jesus name we pray. Amen. And amen. You may be seated this morning. Thank you so very very much for standing. is very important and I would like to direct these comments to our strong tower students today because it is seems that it is the youth of our church that many times get bombarded with questions by those who are not apostolic such as why do you dress the way that you do? Why do you act the way that you do? And you will please notice with me, Strong Tower students, that the times you're asked, the majority of times you're asked why you do what you do, it has to do with something that that person can externally see that is different in your life. They see it on the external. They see a difference. And of course, like most of us, we begin to explain to them something on the external, something on the outside, and we begin to start trying our best to explain why we dress the way we do or why we don't dress the way that others do. We begin to explain to them why we do certain things. and we're talking to them from the outside. But yet, I I really believe that you need to ask permission from those who ask you why do you do externally what you do and I believe you need to ask them permission that before you go into that, may I tell you what's on the inside of me? May I tell you what's on the inside of me? Because the world will never know why we do what's on the outside until they first begin to understand it's driven by the spirit of God that is on the inside. The explanation of speaking in tongues. Joel in the Old Testament, tongues did not begin. The spirit of God did not begin to be talked about in the New Testament. The spirit of God, the outpouring of the spirit, the baptism of the spirit, wasn't something that began with John the Baptist. Was it something that began with Jesus? Was it something that began in the book of Acts? God pouring out his spirit. is as old prophecy as it was in the New Testament that unto us a child is born and unto us a son is given. Hundreds of years before Pentecost, hundreds of years before the first initial outpouring of the Holy Ghost, the prophet Joel, call him a preacher if you would like, the prophet, preacher Joel fortold under divine inspiration, he said, "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out of my spirit," speaking as though God was speaking through him and he was. I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh. And if you would be very I know that those of you running the scriptures today, if you will be very very quick to get the scripture up and leave it on the screen. Don't don't don't take that scripture down till I give you another scripture. Joel 2 and verse number 28. And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams. Your young men shall see visions. He said, "When I pour out my spirit upon you, it's not going to just be to one age group. It will not just be to one group of people." He said, "I will pour out my spirit upon a ll all flesh. I will pour out my spirit upon the young and I will pour out my spirit upon the old." The book of Proverbs, the book of Proverbs, chapter number one. It's an interesting place to look for a promise been Proverbs chapter number one and verse number 23. Even in the book of Proverbs, God opens up and he says in verse number 23, God says, "Turn you at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you and I will make known my words unto you." He said, "I'm going to pour out." Now, notice this. The spirit always has a purpose and the spirit always will have an effect upon you. And Joel said that when the spirit comes upon all flesh, sons and daughters would prophesy. Young men would see visions and old men would dream dreams. The book of Proverbs says that God would pour out his spirit. And when he would pour out his spirit, he says, "Then I will make known my words unto you." In other words, if you could just realize that the Holy Ghost, the spirit of God is like a flashlight in a dark room. Turn all the lights out in this room and you're not able to see the pews. You're not able to see the surroundings. But because you can't see them, doesn't mean that they're not there. But when you turn a flashlight on, you're able to see what you naturally could not see because of the light. This is the importance of the spirit. When the spirit of God is in our hearts and is turned on, we're able to understand God's word as never before. Can you say amen? Turn over to the book of Isaiah. And I'm wanting to establish today that God pouring out his spirit wasn't something that began in the New Testament. God pouring out his spirit was foretold all through the Old Testament with prophecy. Isaiah chapter 32 and verse number 15. The writer says, "Until the spirit be poured out upon us from on high, and the wilderness be made a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest." Again, please note in your Bible that when the spirit comes, there is an effect that happens upon flesh. from sons and daughters prophesying to old men dreaming dreams to young men seeing visions to be those the spirit comes upon and they begin to behold things out of God's word that they had never seen before and now the prophet Isaiah said I'm going to pour the spirit out and the wilderness the uninhabited that which has no name it is the wilderness it's not a plot of ground its own culture cultivated. It has no meaning. It has no purpose. It has no harvest. Nobody builds in the wilderness. Nobody does anything because it's the wilderness. But God said, "Let me pour my spirit out upon you." And I will take the wilderness and it will become a fruitful field. That's why we need the spirit in our lives. Without the spirit of life, God, our lives are nothing more than wilderness, nothing cultivated, no harvest in our lives, no meaning in our lives. But oh, let the spirit be poured out upon us and God begins to work. Isaiah chapter 44 verse number three. Isaiah chapter 44 and verse number three. You see strong tower students today when they're asking why the external, you need to be versing yourself today and listening very closely and making notes and possibly contemplating on buying the uh the uh DVD or CD made of today's service and going back and listening to it over and over and over again. I I don't know, you may catch on to things a lot quicker than I do, but the only way that I've ever learned anything is repetition. Going back and listening to it again and again and again and again. And not only not only is this Bible lesson today on the explanation of speaking in tongues good for those that are relatively new here to the church and new to Pentecost, this is good for us, too. This is good for us too to hear this again. Isaiah 44 and verse number three. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessings upon thine offspring. Notice again, anytime the spirit comes, it's not just God doesn't just give us the spirit and give us the tongues so that we can know we have the spirit. That's a very small part of it. But there is so much more that goes along with the spirit of God of which if we'll listen today, we ought to begin to covet God's spirit in our life. It ought to be a main prayer thing on our prayer list. Oh God, I need your spirit. Why? Because it has an effect upon us. It's more than just a good Pentecostal dance on a Sunday night. It's more than just a good emotional high that I get into. It affects every aspect of my life. Sons and daughters start prophesying. Sons and daughters start start stop talking about things of the world and they start prophesying about things of God. Not only that, wildernesses become fruitful fields. Not only not not not only that, he said here, and I like this verse. He said, I'm going to pour my spirit out upon you and then the blessing upon thine offspring. I want to tell any young person here today that has a mom and dad that are filled with God's spirit, you don't know how blessed you are. You don't know how blessed you are. You've got a mom and dad. You got a mom and dad that are filled with the spirit. You ought to thank your God every day of the week. It's good that you have a mom and dad. It's good that you've got mom and dads that work for you and love you and provide for you. But the greatest thing about a mom and dad, mom and dad, is that you are filled with the spirit of God. You know why that puts a blessing? Did it is it not right? It puts a blessing on our offspring. Tell all my children here today, you're so blessed, but you're not blessed because your mom and dad are smart in business dealings. You're not blessed because your mom and dad are hard workers and they've stayed at it. Lauren, you hear you hear your daddy today, sweetheart. You're blessed because your mama is filled with the spirit of the almighty God. You're blessed today because your mama Nolan, you're blessed today because your mama is filled with the almighty spirit of God. You see, there's a lot there's a lot of people that have broken their health. There's a lot of people that have provided great riches for their offspring, but their offspring has curses on them today. You know why? Because material things has never been meant to fulfill what only the spirit of God can feel. So being filled with the spirit of God, it's the greatest thing. It's the greatest thing. It's greatest blessing. Young person today, make it a make it a point. Make it a point to tell your mom and dad. Make it a point to tell your if you have a mom and dad that have the spirit, you are so blessed today. You are you are so blessed today. Let me say this. Let me jab at you for a minute. You ought to be so much further along spiritually than other youth whose parents are not spiritfilled. You don't know how blessed you are today to have a mom and dad that are spiritfilled. Amen. The Old Testament. And I just kind of hit a few of the verses, but again I want to prove today that the outpouring of the spirit of God was foretold in the Old Testament. And then the book of Matthew of which please Bible student make a note of this that although you go to the book of Matthew, you are still in the Old Testament. You are still under the law when you're in the book of Matthew. No, that's the New Testament. It's not the New Testament. The New Testament did not begin until the birth of the church in the book of Acts. So really, the first book in the New Testament is not Matthew. The first book in the New Testament is the book of Acts. When we read when we read Matthew, we're still under we're still under the law. Matthew, Matthew chapter number three, I believe it is. Matthew chapter number three, John the Baptist comes along. Now, John the Baptist was not only known, Matthew chapter 3 and verse number nine, Ma John was not only known, Brother Eric, would you come and help me? My my notebook today is causing my Bible to um to slide off. And would you come and get my Don't take my notes. Just take my take my notebook. Can you do that? Thank you. Thank you, brother Ericson. I'm not going to have you making sounds today. Okay, you can. Matthew chapter 3 and verse number nine. Listen to John the Baptist. Think not to say within yourselves. Matthew chapter 3. Think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father. For I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children of Abraham. Now the axe is laid at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is heed down and cast into the fire. Listen to what John preached. I have indeed baptized you with water. Unto repentance. I baptized you with water. Look that word unto repentance. I baptized you with water to show repentance. That's why I baptized you was to show that you had repented. John's baptism gave no remission of sins like the New Testament baptism does. It was a baptism of repentance. I indeed have baptized you with water. I indeed have baptized you with water unto repentance. But he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Now, not only not only did Isaiah, Joel, and Solomon write about the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, John preached more than repent and be baptized. John's message had a promise at the end. He said, "There's one coming after me. I am not the Christ." He said, "I'm not the end. I am not the Christ. There's one coming after me who is mightier than I. I'm not worthy to wear or unloose his shoes. When he comes, he's bringing a greater baptism. I have baptized you with water for the purpose of repentance, but the one is coming after me. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire. I praise you Lord. John chapter 1 verse number 29. John chapter 1 and verse number 29. Again, John the Baptist is speaking. John the Baptist is speaking and he says here in John 1:29, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, this is he of whom I said, after me cometh a man which is beferred before me, for he was before me, and I knew him not. I didn't know him, but that he should be made manifest to Israel. Therefore, I am come baptizing with water. And John bear record, saying, now follow along. And John bear records saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and like and and it abodeed upon him and I knew him not." Listen to this. I knew him not. But he that sent me to baptize with water. The same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bear record that this is the son of God. Now, this gives an explanation for why what happened at the baptism of Jesus happened. Because John, God spoke to John and said, "I want you to go preach repentance. For the kingdom of God is at hand or the change is coming and it's close and there's one that's going to come after you who's mightier than you. He's going to baptize you with the Holy Ghost." But John didn't know him. Although in the flesh, John is a cousin to Jesus. Elizabeth and Mary are kin to each other that made John and Jesus cousins. But he said, "I was told THERE'S ONE COMING AFTER me that's mightier than I. He'll baptize YOU WITH THE HOLY GHOST, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS." And so, isn't it wonderful that God doesn't leave the church in the dark? GOD SAID, "I WANT YOU TO GO AND BAPTIZE WITH WATER, and I want you to I want you to tell people to repent because the kingdom is about to change and they need to get ready for Messiah cometh. The anointed one is coming and they need to get their lives in line. Every crooked place needs to straighten up. Every low place needs to come up. Every high place needs to COME DOWN." HE WASN'T TALKING ABOUT GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION. He was talking about people. He was saying those that are crooked need to straighten up. That's what repentance will do. He said, "Those that have a low opinion of themselves need to repent and understand God loves them and they need to come up a little bit. And those that have an overly exalted opinion of themselves NEED TO REPENT AND COME down a little bit." Then he said this. He said, "But he also told me that there's one mightier than I coming after me, but I don't know him. I don't know who he is. But he said he's going to baptize you with the Holy Ghost. But then he said, "John, I'll tell you, you're going to baptize a lot of people. You're going to baptize multitudes, John. But there's going to be one man you baptize one day. And when you baptize this one man, John, you're going to see the spirit like a dove come down upon him, and it's going to stay on him. And when that happens, you point everybody to that man because it's that man that's going to baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire. John baptized a lot of people. No dove, no no likeness, anything came down. Nothing happened. But on that one day when the lamb of God come walking down the seashore and the lamb of God walked up to him and said, "John, it's time for you to baptize me." And John said, "I'm not worthy to baptize you." He said, "John, you need to suffer it." so to be to baptize me. And when Je baptized Jesus in the water, Jesus come up out of the water and guess what happened? The spirit like a dove came down and lighted upon him. Do you know who that sign was for? God has always given us signs to point us in the right direction. That sign wasn't for Jesus. He knew he was God incarnate. You know who that sign was for? John the Baptist. Because from that day forward, he began to say, "Now I know who's going to baptize you with the Holy Ghost. Jesus is going to baptize you with THE HOLY GHOST." IT'LL BE JESUS THAT baptizes you with the Holy Ghost. Jesus. Not only did the Old Testament prophets speak of the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, John the Baptist preached the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. Not only did John the Baptist preach the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, Jesus in John chapter 3 and verse number five, we'll begin there. John chapter 3 and verse number well, let's start at verse number three, excuse me. There was a man by the name of Nicodemus. John 3:3 that came to Jesus. He came with compliments to Jesus. But his compliment was based on what his religious group approved of. His religious group voted that they believed that Jesus was a man sent from God. For no man can do the miracles that thou doest except God be with him. Nicodemus gave this compliment to Jesus only to hear the words in John 3:3. Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. You have no spiritual perception without a new birth. You cannot spiritually see. You see strong tower, they're asking you to explain an external upon you, but they cannot understand an external upon you because they without the spirit of God. And this is where you need to start with what's in you for the explanation, not what's on you for the explanation. You need to be able to tell them because they cannot perceive that. They're not born again. They cannot understand spiritual things. Nicodemus saith unto him, how can a man be born when he's old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born natural thinking? Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Nicodemus had natural natural birth of a mother. Jesus said no it is a spiritual birth that is the product of spirit baptism and water baptism. And then later on Jesus in John chapter 7 in John chapter 7 Jesus God incarnate in John chapter 7 and verse number 37. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the spirit, that they which believe should receive, for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. Please remember John said it will be Jesus that baptizes with the Holy Ghost. Please remember Jesus cried and said if any man come unto me and believe on me as the scripture has said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This spake he of the spirit. The Holy Ghost was not yet given because he had not yet been glorified. Again, I want to take you to a miracle of Jesus. In my estimation, probably the greatest miracle besides the death, burial, and resurrection that had ever been performed. It's the greatest miracle in my estimation that could ever be performed in Luke chap 24 and verse number 45. The greatest miracle in my estimation. Luke chapter Luke chapter 24 and verse number 45 simply states these words. The Bible says speaking of Jesus, then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scripture. You know, we talk about him opening blinded eyes. And we talk about him opening stopped ears. We talk about him opening graves. We talk about him opening a lot. But I believe the greatest miracle that Jesus ever performed was that day before he ascended back into heaven. He spiritually opened their understanding that they might understand the scripture. He who is spirit, he who is spirit open their understanding. And if there's ever a miracle that's needed in our world today, we need not so much as blinded eyes to be open as much as we need people's understanding to be open. If their understanding can be opened, then they're going to understand why we do what we do and we don't do certain things. But they'll never understand that until their understanding has been has been opened. And that understanding can only come by the spirit of almighty God. Amen. And amen. I don't want to get off track here today. I don't want to get off track here today. But it is not only the spirit of God that gives you a revelation of certain things. It is also the current spirit of God that keeps you in that revelation. There's a lot of people that I've pastored through the years that have had revelation about Godhead and the baptism and holiness that they're far from all of those subjects this morning. Well, were they wrong? Did they really never believe it? Oh, no. They really believed it. it. See, they simply fell out of their need to have the spirit of God. It is the spirit of God that keeps revelation fresh in our lives. It is the spirit of God that helps us to keep reading the Bible. And when we stumble over verses that Jesus was praying, well, doesn't that sound like too? No. IT'S THE SPIRIT OF GOD THAT COMES BACK AND SAY dual nature. I I was God incarnate. I was God living in flesh. Sometimes I spoke as God. Sometimes I spoke as man. It's God's spirit. But let us lose God's spirit and become nothing but social Pentecostal people and we'll become just like some of the major Pentecostal or so-called Pentecostal groups in America today. The church of God and the Assembly of God that are both that that are both they number in the millions in membership that they number in the millions in membership. Both of these organizations, the church of God and the Assembly of God, had their foundations in receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, speaking in other tongues. But do you know that some statistics today say that among the church of God and the Assembly of God, less than 10% of their congregants do only have the Holy Ghost. 90% of the people that identify themselves as church of God don't even have the spirit baptism. They ordain preachers that don't even have the spirit baptism. Their Sunday school classes are lying with people that do not have the spirit baptism. As a matter of fact, I'm I'm I'm not throwing stones today. I'm telling us we can make the same mistake as the assembly of God and the church of God make if we stop emphasizing our need of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The baptism of the spirit is not just for poor people. The baptism OF THE SPIRIT IS NOT JUST FOR uneducated people. The baptism of the spirit is not just for some lowclass people. The baptism of the spirit IS FOR EVERYBODY. WE all need the baptism of the spirit. If we don't watch it, if we don't watch it, we can fall into the same trap that they fall into, that they have fallen into. He opened their understanding that they might understand the scripture. And he said unto them, "Thus it is written, and thus it behoo behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance." I wish somebody would I wish somebody would remember what I taught Wednesday night. What did I teach Wednesday night? Two words sums it up. What did I teach Wednesday night? He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. People that get the Holy Ghost get the Holy Ghost because they have a belief that he is alive. It's not people begging him. We're not going to beg him. It's not a begging session. It's a very high emotional thing. I believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He's alive this morning. He heard me pray today. He's answered my prayers today. He received my worship today. He received my praise today. He's listening to me preach today. He's riding upon the wings of my words today. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. That was one he's alive forever section we got here IN THE CHURCH. HE'S ALIVE. And one for the platform. He is alive. Maybe maybe people that are having a difficulty receiving the spirit baptism need to back off from receiving it and start really concentrating hard on the fact that he is alive. I believe that he is alive. I believe that 2,000 years ago that he overshadowed a virgin girl by Mary and that divine overshadowing caused there to be a miraculous conception. And because that miraculous miraculous conception, God was born into this world wrapped in human flesh, lived some 33 and a half years, fulfilled the plan of God, went to a cross called Calvary, hung on that cross is the payment for my sins. We're not saved by works. lest any man would boast. Nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ. Nothing but his blood can forgive me of my sins. He died upon that cross three days later in that tomb in Jerusalem. The same spirit that hung the stars to shine. The same spirit of God that created the world. The same spirit that overshadowed Mary came down upon that corpse inside of that tomb and raised that corpse up. GLORIOUS IMMORTALITY. MORTAL, TOOK on immortality. HE CAME OUT OF THAT TOMB VICTORIOUS over death, hell, and the grave. Spent 40 days teaching, ascended up into heaven. He's in A PLACE RIGHT NOW THE only way you can get into heaven IS SAY, "JESUS, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET A PRAYER ANSWERED is in Jesus' name." BUDDHA WON'T DO IT. MUHAMMAD won't do it. Confucious won't do it. Einstein won't do it. The Kennedy name won't do it. ONUS WON'T DO IT. THE only saving name under the earth is Jesus S. Jesus. It is Jesus. [applause and cheering] Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Jesus, I want you to walk me. Jesus, I want you to walk in. Jesus, I want you to Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my father upon you. But carry ye in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high. He led them out as far as to Bethany and lifted up his hands and blessed them. It came to pass while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen. And again and again, those of you that either want the baptism of the Holy Ghost or want a refilling of the baptism, he does not come upon you begging. He does not come upon you doubting. He is not going to give you the baptism of the spirit so that you believe he is. The baptism of the spirit comes upon those that believe the death, burial, and resurrection message. I really believe we as a Pentecostal apostolic church need to keep hammering. We don't need to go to sleep when I mention the death, burial, and resurrection. And neither and neither do we need to think we're pseudospiritual and get off today and talk about brother Carpenter starting to sound like some denominal preachers. He he's starting to see he's starting to sound like some denominal preachers talking about the death, burial, and resurrection. No, I'm not sounding like a denominal preacher. I'm sounding more like a book of Acts preacher because if you We're going to read it in a moment. If I get to it, we're going to read it in a minute. The baptism of the Holy Ghost, Brother Mafford, did not come down upon people begging, pleading, mourning. It came down upon joyous people. It came down upon confident people. My God never has My God never has failed to keep his word. My God has never made a promise that he could not back up. And when he said, "I will send the Holy GHOST UPON YOU. YOU CAN GO AHEAD and bank on it. YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND PRAISE YOUR GOD." You are going to get the Holy Ghost. Don't ever doubt it. Don't ever go Don't ever get into a morning state of mind. He is real. He loves you. He rose FROM THE DEAD. HE'S ALIVE THIS MORNING. He loves you. HE LOVES YOU. HE LOVES YOU. OH, HE LOVES YOU. Acts chapter 2. We're about to make a transition from the law to grace. What started the law? Fire on a mountain. Fire on Mount Si inaugurated the law. What gave? What gave Moses when he came down with those ten commandments the second time? He came down with those ten commandments the second time. Why did people give heed to him? Because that mountain shook and because it was on fire and it was shaking. And the people saw a visible sign. But the visible sign was not for them to talk about fire and shaking. The visible sign was for Moses to come down with them ten commandments and say right here's what God wants us to do. God wants us to have no other gods before him. God wants us not to build idols like we saw in Egypt. God want and what was it? It was God trying to get his law into their hearts. But that could never happen. Why? Because the flesh was weak. But God got ready to inaugurate the church, the new dispensation, which is the spirit dispensation or grace dispensation. We talk about grace, we get grace confused with mercy. We have a song that we sing. We got our minds on one thing, but the song's talking about another thing. We talk about amazing grace. How sweet the sound. And you know what? We're thinking about mercy. We're thinking about how kind God was to forgive us of our sins. Mercy is not grace. And grace isn't mercy. Mercy is God not giving you what you deserve and giving you what you don't deserve. But grace, you know what grace is? Grace is strength. It is strength. Strength to do what? Strength to do what you cannot do in your flesh. They could never keep the LAW BECAUSE IT STARTED on the outside and tried to work its way inside. No wonder Ezekiel wrote and said, "There'll be a day come that I will put water on you and I will put my spirit in you." If that's not New Testament birth of water and spirit, I don't know what it is. Ezekiel said, "I'm going to put water on you and spirit on you." And then guess what? He said it's going to happen. Notice, remember what I said? After the spirit comes, it always has an action in your life. Then he said, "I will write my laws upon the tables of your heart because I'm going to give you strength through my spirit to do what you naturally cannot do." Now, I'm going to tell you something. This pullpit is heavy. Help me, brother Nolan. This pull pit is heavy here today. This pullpit is heavy. I I I will tell you something. I I don't Just hold close dad's mouth, okay? I I can't I I really cannot Well, I think I a little bit but I I could not I could not carry this pullpit here. But let me SAY NOLAN'S THE HOLY GHOST. Let me get the Holy Ghost in my life. Watch what can happen with the aid. Still need me. But watch what happens with the aid of the Holy Ghost. I'm able to do Let's walk a little bit, bud. I'm able TO DO WHAT I NORMALLY CANNOT DO. WHY? Because I've GOT THE HOLY GHOST ON MY LIFE. IF YOU WANT TO start doing what YOU NATURALLY CANNOT DO, YOU GOT TO HAVE THE HOLY GHOST, THE SPIRIT OF God inside of your life. If you're tired of living low, if you're tired of living discouraged, YOU NEED NOT A VACATION. YOU NEED THE Holy Ghost. IT'S THE HOLY GHOST that we need. [applause and cheering] Acts chapter 2 and verse number one. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, God chose a special day. They were all with one accord in one place. That's why we need to battle church. Let's come to church with Jesus on our minds. Please, congregation, let's come to church with Jesus on our minds. Church doesn't work unless we come to church with Jesus on our minds. does. It doesn't work. God doesn't come down. God doesn't come down. You You won't find a dove. You won't find a dove sitting on a guard rail of an interstate. You don't find doves. And the Holy Ghost is symbolic of a dove. God used the dove symbolically. You won't find a dove perched out on a guard rail on I75 or I40. You know, you'll find an old crow or you'll find an old scavenger bird waiting to jump up in the middle of the highway and eat the latest kill that's on the road, but you won't find a dove there. You know why? Doves don't they they don't like that kind of busy, noisy surroundings. You want to find a dove, you got to go to a quiet meadow somewhere. You got to go to a place where there's not a lot of intrusion around there and then you'll find all kind of doves. And it's the same way with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost will not come down upon churches that are divided. It will not come down on one section hating another section and one person can't speak to another person. It won't come down. You y'all may be seated today. It won't come down upon people that are wondering when the preacher is going TO BE QUIET. IT WON'T COME DOWN upon wondering how I can get out of service tonight. It snowed. You know, I know I got here this morning, but probably got a good excuse NOT TO BE BACK TONIGHT. I LISTEN, THE HOLY GHOST DON'T come down upon such as that. But give me a group of people, be it two or three, that'll just get together and say, "Jesus, we love you, Lord. I need you, Lord. I need you in my life, God. Oh, I praise you, mighty God. I JUST GOT TO HAVE YOU, LORD. My life will fall apart without you, Lord. Jesus in the morning. Jesus in the noon time. Jesus when the sun goes down. I love you, MIGHTY GOD. I'VE GOT TO HAVE you in my life, oh God. Come on right now. COME ON RIGHT NOW. NOW THE HOLY GHOST STARTS COMING DOWN. NOW THE HOLY GHOST STARTS coming down. And when the day of Pentecost is fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. There appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and it set upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance. Utterance means the ability to do so. And I want to answer a question for you today, strong tower, because you get asked this. You say you believe, your church believes. I'VE HEARD YOUR PASTOR SAY THAT he believes THAT YOU GET THE HOLY GHOST just like they did on the day of Pentecost. Where's the tongues of fire? Where's the tongues of fire? Can I tell you that the tongues of fire was part of the inauguration of the spirit coming for the first time? And I've got the Sinai to back it up. Did the law only have power when there was fire on the mountain? Did the law only have power when the mountain was shaking? No. The law had power from the time Moses walked down the mountain with the stones until the dispensation of the law was over. But God used the the fire and the smoke and the shaking of the mountain so that when he would come down, the people would believe. That's important what he's got there in his hand. And so God on the day of Pentecost also inaugurated the church with tongues of fire. Why fire? Because fire is the emblem of God's presence. The Bible says our God is a con consuming fire. And so when God came down in those THOSE THOSE BALLS OF FIRE, those tongues of fire, and it set upon each of them, and they were all, notice this, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them the ability to do so. That's why if we will just get our minds on the resurrection and let the joy of the Lord overwhelm us, And it will overwhelm us if we'll approach him by faith. If we will approach him by faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the the Lord Jesus Christ. There will be joy that will overwhelm us. And when that joy overwhelms us, we can just listen, it's not hard. Let the joy overwhelm you and then just yield YOUR TONGUE TO GOD AND GOD will fill you with his spirit and you will speak out in a a language that you do not know. Now, I want you to understand something. I want you to understand something that that's a sign you got the Holy Ghost. I have heard people and maybe maybe we need just a little refresher on this, but but I I have heard people, matter of fact, one year at Strong Tower, there was something happened in an altar that greatly disturbed my wife and I. A young man from one of the area churches received the Holy Ghost. He spoke it. How'd you know he received it? He spoke in tongues. You heard him. We heard him. He spoke in a language he didn't know. And his youth pastor got up in his ear and said, "Pray till you're satisfied." Now, I never read in the Bible where one of the signs that you've got the Holy Ghost is that you're satisfied. Because brother Dean, if that be the case, your pastor this morning does not have the Holy Ghost. Cuz I'm not satisfied. I'm not I don't have the Holy Ghost then cuz I You You mean tell me you didn't get the Holy Ghost to get satisfied? No. I got the Holy Ghost and I spoke in tongues as the initial sign that I received the Holy Ghost. BUT TO SAY THAT I'M SATISFIED. I want more and more and more and more and more. I don't want to live on a past. I'M STILL NOT SATISFIED. I WANT MORE. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE PRAISING HIM THIS MORNING. That's Now you may be seated. Is this all right today? Maybe a special maybe a special Bible class for special people that have come this morning. Thank you. But neither does somebody get more of the Holy Ghost. Well, so and so got the Holy Ghost. I tell you what, back in the day, they used to get the Holy Ghost and talk for in tongues for days. Wonderful. Wonderful. Maybe they were hard-headed. I don't know. I don't know. But if we're going to gauge who got the Holy Ghost, my brother and I got the Holy Ghost a few weeks apart. Brother Carl, the night my brother got the Holy Ghost, night Jerry got the Holy Ghost, Kathy, he walked to and fro the altar speaking in tonesues, speaking in tonesues, speaking in tonesues, up and down the aisle, speaking in tones, speaking in tonesues. Jerry talked for 45 minutes or so in tonesues. Few weeks later, I got the Holy Ghost. I spoke a couple of syllables. There was just three or four times my tongue moved. That I didn't know what I was saying. Now, just think about it. Because when we want to use as a standard the length of tongues to validate the spirit baptism, I don't think my brother and I are a good case and point for you to use. So don't get your mind on, well you you know they got they got to keep on speaking. I want them to pray till they're satisfied. No, what you're going to do, you're going to pray to discourage them because what they need to be told is that's the Holy Ghost. Did you know what you said? No. That's the Holy Ghost. Oh, you mean you tell somebody, "Oh, I don't believe in telling people that." Well, then you don't believe Peter then. Because the Apostle Peter said in the second book of the chapter of Acts, he said, "This is that." He didn't say, "I got that." He pointed BACK TO THE 120 AND SAID, "This is that." Can I tell you upon the validation of the word of God, if you speak a syllable, if you utter one word that you don't know, YOU STAND UP and claim that is my baptism of the spirit. GOD HAS GIVEN ME THE BAPTISM of the spirit. Let's just worship him right now for a few moments. Hallelujah. Hallelujah Jesus. Hallelujah Jesus. Live in me. Live in me Lord. Lord live in me. Walk in me. Breathe in me. Talk in me. Come on church. Come on church. Come on church. Come on, live in me, Jesus. Breathe in me, Jesus. Hallelujah. Sweet spirit of God. Sweet spirit of God. Hallelujah. You're alive. You're alive. You're alive. In that day. Jesus said it. Jesus said, "You may be seated." Jesus said, "And in that day ye shall know that I am in the Father, that I'm there." In that day, the day that you receive the Holy Ghost, you will know that I'm alive. That's what he said in the book of John. In that day, when you receive the Holy Ghost, you'll know that I'm alive. I hope nobody gets offended at this example today, but back in the day when you used to have to pay money for a long distance call and when you was a cheapkate like me or maybe not able to afford it meant my wife and I had a little thing that we would do. I would say when I get to Ohio this evening, I'll call and let it ring three times. And when I call and let it ring three times, don't pick it up, but you'll know I'm there and I got there safe. I said after church, you'll know I'm back at the hotel room around 11. I'LL CALL AND LET it ring a few times. Don't pick it up, but you'll know I'm there. Jesus did the same thing. He said, "The day will come. You're not going to see me no more." He said, "But I'm going to send you another comforter. Yes. That he, a matter of fact, he said it this way. HE SAID, "I am with you, but I shall be in you." And he said, "In that day, when you begin to speak in other tongues on the day of Pentecost, you're going to know the phone is ringing three times. You're going to know that I'm seated at the right hand of THE MAJESTY ON HIGH. YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW that I'm alive. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE ME AGAIN in my sandals. You're not going to see me again IN MY ROBE. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE ME AGAIN. BUT YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW THAT I'M ALIVE. I'm going to go so quick through this. I'm going to go so quick through this. You all are going to think, I can't believe he read that many scripture and didn't comment about it much. And there were dwelling verse 5 at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, what they had received the Holy Ghost. The multitude came together and were confounded because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, "Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? How here we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born. Parththeians, me, Elummites, dwellers at Mesopotamia and Judea, Capidoshian, Pontis and Asia, Fragia and Panthilia, in Egypt and in the parts of Libya and Batsirene and strangers of Rome, Jews and Proelites, Greeks and Arabians. We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. Now, let me tell you what you're going to be told. You're going to be told that they did speak in other languages on the day of Pentecost to preach the gospel. Not true. Not true. This proves it's not true. Now, what this does prove, at least 18 of them were speaking unknown to them, but languages that were known of other people. I was in Florida some years ago. There was a there was a a a Muslim that was there and he had been converted. And I asked him since he was a devout Muslim. I asked him, "How did you get converted?" He said, "A girl, my wife now said the only way she would she would go out to dinner with me was to go to church with her." And I thought to myself, I'm willing to go to church. I don't care what church it is. I'm willing to go to that church to to go out to eat dinner with that woman. And he said, "So one night," and he pointed to the pew. He said, "I was sitting right there." And he pointed to the woman and he said, "I was sitting behind this woman and she began to speak Arabic just as fluently as she could speak Arabic. And she began to say, I am he. I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. I am the God of Jacob. I am the eternal God. I am Elohim. I am the only one God. And beside me there is none other. And my name is Jesus. He thought, "Wow." He he said he said, "Bro Carpenter," he said, "I thought, wow, this woman knows Arab Arabic. She knows Arabic. So after church, I want to talk to her." And so he he got her after church. He said, he said, "Where did you learn your Arabic?" And she turned around, she said, "What are you talking about?" He said, "Your Arabic that you were speaking tonight." She said, "I I I I don't know nothing but English." He said, "I don't know. You you know Arabic, too. Because you were speaking when you speaking?" She said, she said, I speak it in tonesues. I speak it in tones. And it was from that that that man got the revelation that Jesus was God. He's baptized in Jesus name today, filled with the Holy Ghost, worshiping God on a pew. But let me tell you, they did not preach the death, burial, and resurrection in tongues. Nobody preached the death, burial, and resurrection in tonesues. Had they preached the death, burial, and resurrection in tonesues? The Bible at verse number 12, Acts 2 and 12. And they were in doubt saying amazed and in doubt saying one to another, what meanth this? Had they preached the death, burial, and resurrection in tongues, then where Acts 2:37 is at would be where Acts 12 would be. You would take Acts 2:37 and put it at Acts 12. What's Acts 2:37? Now, when they heard this, they were pricricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, MEN AND BRETHREN, WHAT SHALL WE DO? Why is Acts 2:37 not at Acts 2:12? Simply because they did not preach the gospel. What did they preach? THE WONDERFUL WORKS OF GOD. I don't know if they were saying in whatever language and God said, "Let there be light." AND THERE WAS LIGHT. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY were saying in another language and God said, "Let the earth bring forth." And it did. I don't know if they WERE SAYING IN OTHER LANGUAGES and Moses split the Red Sea and Shadrach AND MESHACH AND ABEDNEO WALKED THROUGH THE FIRE AND DANIEL WALKED THROUGH THE LINE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, BUT IT WAS A WONDERFUL WORKS OF GOD. BUT I KNOW WHAT IT WASN'T. IT WASN'T THE DEATH, BURIAL, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because that begins, my friend, after Peter explained biblically the outpouring of the SPIRIT OF GOD BY SAYING, "And these men are not drunken." As a matter of fact, oh Jesus, help me today. Help me today. Choir, is it all right if I take YOUR TIME TODAY? CHOIR, CAN I CAN I TAKE YOUR TIME TODAY? C Can I get a vote? How many choir members will stand right now and say, "Pastor, take our time today. Just take our time today." All right, that's enough of you. Be seated. Peter gave a biblical dep Peter gave a biblical answer. The Bible said verse number 14, but Peter standing up with the 11, you know what we need in leadership? We need unity and leadership. Now, if the Bible records the fact that Peter wasn't out there all by himself, Matthew wasn't sitting down and said, "I don't I'm not so sure about what Peter's saying." But when Peter stood up, the Bible said Peter stood up and the 11 others said, "We're backing the man. We stand right with him." Look at that. But Peter standing up WITH THE 11, PETER GOT UP AND THE OTHER 11 STOOD UP. YEAH. And Peter lifted up his voice and said unto them, "YE MEN OF JUDEA, AND ALL YE THAT DWELL AT JERUSALEM, BE THIS KNOWN unto you, and hearken to my words. THESE ARE NOT DRUNKEN AS YOU SUPPOSE, SEEING IT IS BUT THE THIRD HOUR OF THE DAY. BUT THIS IS THAT WHICH WAS SPOKEN. This is THAT WHICH WAS SPOKEN OUT BY THE PROPHET JOEL. IN THE LAST DAYS, I'LL POUR OUT OF MY SPIRIT upon all. Oh, THANK GOD FOR THE HOLY Ghost this morning, folks. I MAKE NO APOLOGIES ABOUT IT. JESUS IS ALIVE AND HE'S INSIDE OF ME TODAY. I MAKE NO APOLOGIES ABOUT IT. HE'S JOY UNSPEAKABLE AND HE'S FULL OF GREAT GLORY. I MAKE NO APOLOGIES ABOUT IT. I make no apologies about it. IT'S LIKE FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES. WHAT MAKES YOU LIFT YOUR HANDS? JESUS. WHAT MAKES YOU SHOUT FOR JOY? JESUS. WHAT MAKES THE JOY OF THE LORD? JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. OH, it is joy unspeakable and full of glory. Full of gloryy. Full of glory. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory. Oh, thy has never yet been told. Oh, I found the joy. No tongue can tell. It's waves of glory roar. Oh, it is like a flowing well, springing up within my soul. I said it's joy unspeakable and full of glory. Full of glory. It is full of glory. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory. Oh, the half has never yet been told. God, I'll never let my car take that out of my heart. God, I'll never let my education take that out of my heart. God, I'll never LET YOUR BLESSINGS TAKE THAT OUT OF MY heart because it's real. It's real. I know it's real. this Pentecostal blessing. PRAISE GOD. I know it's real. I said it's real. Oh, it's real. Yes. Hallelujah. Rejoice with me. Oh, thank God for the piano, but we don't have to have it. Thank God for the organ, but we don't have to have it. Thank God for the 150 choir members, BUT WE DON'T have to have them. Thank God for the sound system, but we don't have to have it. Thank God for this ultramodern MILLION-DOLLAR BUILDING, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE IT. BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WE GOT TO HAVE. WE GOT TO HAVE HOLY GHOST. WE GOT TO have it. We got to HAVE IT. WE GOT TO HAVE THE HOLY GHOST CHURCH. WE GOT TO HAVE THE HOLY GHOST CHURCH. WE GOT TO HAVE THE SPIRIT OF GOD. IT'S GOT TO BE THE SPIRIT OF GOD. WE GOT TO HAVE HIS SPIRIT. YOU MAY THINK I'M UNCOUTHED TODAY. YOU MAY THINK I'M UNEDUCATED TODAY, BUT WE GOT TO HAVE THE HOLY GHOST. WE GOT TO HAVE THE SPIRIT OF GOD INSIDE of us. IT'LL DELIVER YOU FROM DEMONIC OPPRESSION. IT'LL DELIVER YOU FROM THE ENEMY'S HAND. IT'S THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST. It'll make you FEEL LIKE YOU IT'LL MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD. It'll get down in your feet. It'll get UP IN YOUR HANDS. IT'LL GET DOWN IN YOUR HEART. OH, IT IS JOY. Come on, Holy Ghost. You're here this morning. You want to receive the Holy Ghost right where you're at. Begin to lift your HANDS AND BELIEVE IN THE DEATH, BURIAL, and resurrection. Hallelujah. It's real. It's real. It's real. I know it's real. This Pentecostal blessing, praise God. I know it's real. It's real. IT'S REAL. OH, I KNOW IT'S REAL. This Pentecostal blessing. Oh, praise God. I know it's real. Come on, stir it up. Stir it up. Stir it up. LET'S LET THE HOLY GHOST MOVE RIGHT NOW. [applause and cheering] Come on. Let's let the Holy Ghost move right now. Stir it up inside of you. Stir it up inside of you, Jesus. Oh, hallelujah. GLORY. GLORY. GLORY. HALLELUJAH. HALLELUJAH. HALLELUJAH. It'll deliver you from bondages. IT'LL DELIVER YOU FROM bondages today. It'll deliver you from alcohol. It'll deliver you from drug addiction. It'll deliver you from gossip. IT'LL DELIVER YOU FROM THE CHAINS OF THIS WORLD. THE HOLY GHOST. Come on. TODAY, THE HOLY GHOST IS GOING TO MOVE. Come on. Stir it up, church. Stir it up, church. Stir it up, church. Lift your hands right now. I'M TELLING YOU, GOD'S GOING TO BLOW THE TOP OFF THIS BUILDING TODAY. I'M TELLING YOU, WE'RE GOING TO TEAR DOWN STRONGHOLDS TODAY BECAUSE THE HOLY GHOST IS HERE. It's real. Come on. I need some people help me pray right now. Come on. Come on. I need some prayer. I NEED SOME PEOPLE. HELP ME PRAY. Let the Holy Ghost move up on you. Come on. Let the Holy Ghost move on you right now. Come on. Let the Holy Ghost move on you right now. Come on. Let the Holy Ghost move on you right now. Come on. The altar is open right now. There's only about three or four of us in the altar right now. Whatever you need from God, the waters are troubled. The Holy Ghost is moving right now. The spirit of God is moving right now. You can receive the Holy Ghost right now. You may be a firsttime guest here at this church. You can receive the Holy Ghost right now. Sir, what you're feeling inside of you right now is the eternal God talking to you right now. What you need to do is lift your hands up and what you need to do is begin to CALL OUT ON JESUS. BEGIN TO CALL OUT ON JESUS RIGHT NOW. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. LORD. Come on, church. Come on, church. With all your heart. WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SEEK AFTER GOD RIGHT NOW. With all your heart, SEEK AFTER GOD RIGHT NOW. YAY. Come on. We want the spirit to move. Come on. We want the spirit to move. God, I'm here today in one mind. I want the spirit to move. I want the spirit to move. I want the spirit to move. I need some prayer warriors. I need some men to help me. I need some of OUR LAY MINISTERS TO HELP ME TODAY. I WANT OUR LAY MINISTERS TO PRAY RIGHT NOW. WE NEED THE MOVE OF the Holy Ghost. We need the move of THE SPIRIT OF GOD. We need the Holy Ghost to move. Come on. Breathe on us. BREATHE ON US. Holy Ghost, breathe on us. Breathe on us this morning. BREATHE ON US THIS MORNING, GOD. Breathe on us, Lord. BREATHE ON US RIGHT NOW, GOD. HALLELUJAH. OH, you said in your word for the promise is unto you. Dear children, those brought of even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Breathe on us. Breathe on us. Come on, men of God. I want you to go through this altar praying. Hallelujah. No, no. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord.