What's In Your Belly?

John 7:37-39 (KJV)

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 hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Acts 1:8

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 2:38

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Friends, if you haven’t figured it out by now, I am a Pentecostal, and this morning the message the Lord has given me to share is from the heart of a man who knows that trying to live a holy life without the power that comes from the baptism of the Holy Ghost, is impossible.

For generations, the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and the ministration thereof has been going through a process of disintegration; not from Gods perspective, but from man’s perspective. Disintegrate means to break apart, dissolve, to break up, or crumble. We have reached the place where even within many so-called ‘Pentecostal' denominations, the baptism of the Holy Ghost has been reduced to the mere acknowledgement of an indwelling presence of Jesus experienced by all believers.

There is today, not only a depreciation for speaking with other tongues as the spirit gives the utterance as the initial sign and evidence of being Spirit filled, there is tremendous opposition against speaking in tongues; because it is not seeker friendly. We are told that it is putting emphasis on the wrong thing and that by acknowledging speaking in tongues as the initial sign and evidence of being baptized, that we are belittling those who do not speak with other tongues. That’s hogwash, and it’s not scriptural!

Friends, if we are going to be New Testament believers, if we are going to be a book of Acts church, and be followers of Jesus, then we must do what he told us to do and follow the example of the Apostles in the book of Acts!

On the day of Pentecost all that were in the upper room were filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance, and every occasion, in the book of Acts (the only NT book that records anyone being filled with the Holy Ghost), when they were filled with the Holy Ghost, they spoke with other tongues.

When the door of grace opened to the gentiles, they received this same gift and spoke with other tongues. And the Jewish believers that were there, knew that they had received the gift of the Holy Ghost. How? “And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. (Acts 10:45-46)”

They knew because, 'they heard them speak with tongues.' And all those there this time spoke the same language, so that different languages thing is out the window this time!

Why is speaking in tongues so important? As my pastor would say, “Glad you asked.”

Because it the reception and activation of this initial gift of the Holy Ghost that opens the door to the operation and the manifestation of the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit that are listed by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12.

The Holy Ghost in you by virtue of the baptism in the Holy Ghost is the river of Ezekiel 47, that brings life everywhere it flows, but it is through the gifts of the Spirit that this river travels and extends itself.

John 7: 38-39 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

There are no rivers until we receive the Holy Spirit. It is impossible to experience the full, free, and abundant life that Jesus came to give us without the baptism of the Holy Ghost. And without the living water being placed in us by faith, it is impossible for the rivers to bring the blessings of the supernatural power of God into contact with the needs of the lost. Jesus in you, is a blessing to you alone, but it is Jesus flowing out of you through the gifts of the Spirit, that make you a blessing to others.

We must come back to the original purpose and power of the giving of the Holy Ghost: He is to first be in us as helper, teacher, comforter, illuminator, counselor, friend, and power to live a holy life. Then, He is to flow out of us by virtue of the gifts, to bring salvation, healing, deliverance, miracles, and signs and wonders, to set people free.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, (because) he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised… (Luke 4:18)”

How did Jesus do those things? By the gifts of the spirit: every blind eye opened, every demon cast out, every sick body he healed, feeding the multitudes, walking on water, calming the storm with His word, raising Lazarus from the dead, was all one or more of the gifts of the spirit at work in His life.

Acts 10:38

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

That’s how Jesus did it: By the anointing of the Holy Ghost through the mighty gifts of the Spirit.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (John 14:12)”

Someone might say: ‘Well the gifts of the spirit are only for certain individuals.’ Yes, they are, they are for humans: born again, blood bought, blood washed humans! “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal (1 Corinthians 12:7)

I like the way the Contemporary English Version puts it,” The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others.”

Why should we desire spiritual gifts? First, because the Word tells us to. Second, so that we can participate in the process of building up the Church, The Body of Christ. And thirdly, so that we have the power to overthrow the devil’s kingdom in the hearts and lives of lost men and women. The enemy’s kingdom is real, and it is through the gifts of the spirit that we meet the challenges of the enemy and bring deliverance to the oppressed.

Why are so many people unconcerned about the gifts of the Spirit and the operation of these gifts in their lives? Because they are not committed to living a holy life, because they are not committed to the building up and edifying of the church, and they are unconcerned about the condition of the world around them - unconcerned in the sense that they are unwilling to take steps that can make the difference.

To not Know these mighty gifts of power are available is ignorance, but to know and not care, and make no steps to receive them is foolishness.

Acts 2:38 - 39 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

The promise of the Holy Ghost is to whosoever will repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and the gifts of the spirit are offered, to every believer, on the same basis.