A. The Greek word translated fill is used in a variety of ways in the Bible. For instance it can mean to physically fill something like a jar or the hold of a ship.  Or it can mean to fill a predetermined span of time, as in Luke 1:57 referring to Elizabeth having reached the time for John’s birth.

It’s used most often to refer to a person’s dominant feeling at a given point of time.  In Luke 4:28 people were filled with wrath. They were filled with fear in Luke 5:26, with madness in Luke 6:11, with wonder in Acts 3:10, indignation in Acts 5:17, envy in Acts 13:45, confusion in Acts 19:29, etc.

The point is the same Greek word is used every time, so being filled is not something that’s unique to the Holy Spirit.  He was sealed within us when we first believed,  so we have the potential to be filled with Him just as we have the potential to be filled with love, wonder, awe etc. Your own experiences demonstrate this. This doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit is just another emotion, but that for a believer the potential to be filled with the Holy Spirit is similar to the potential to be filled with love. It doesn’t require a special ritual or ceremony, it just happens. Reviewing the 8 instances of people being filled with the Holy Spirit in the New Testament will confirm this.

In 1 Cor. 12:7-11 Paul explained that the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in every believer through certain gifts He gives us.  We don’t choose these gifts, He does, and He does so for the common good.  You didn’t mention whether you’ve identified the gifts He’s given you, only that you’ve prayed for certain ones.  Be advised that the gift of tongues was never intended as evidence of the Holy Spirit residing in a believer.  The Holy Spirit automatically resides in every believer.  If you want proof that the Holy Spirit resides within you,  pray that the Lord would help you discover the gifts He’s selected for you so you can make the contribution to the Body of Christ He intends for you to make.

A. Paul’s instructions on the use of the gift of tongues makes it clear that the language being uttered can and should be interpreted for the purpose of understanding, and if there’s no interpreter present it should not be expressed audibly (1 Cor. 14:27-28).  In today’s Churches no attempt in made to interpret prayer languages, and many say they can not be understood, either by the person uttering them or by a person with the gift of interpretation.  Advocates of this say the prayer is being given by the Holy Spirit in an angelic language and is meant only for God.

Since this contradicts the Biblical explanation of tongues and violates instructions on their use, then the prayer language must be something else.  If it truly is a communication between the Holy Spirit and God then an audible utterance is not required.  I personally do not see any Biblical support for exercising the so-called prayer language in public.

A. In Biblical times the laying on of hands was done as a sign of acceptance or approval, or to commission someone into ministry (1 Tim 4:14).  But it was not done to convey an anointing or cause someone to faint, nor was it to be done casually (1 Tim 5:22).  We see examples in Acts of the Holy Spirit coming on people spontaneously (Acts 2) through preaching (Acts 10:44) and through laying on of hands (Acts 19:6) Healing and other miracles were often performed from a distance as well.

There’s no Biblical basis for a transferable anointing.  One person can not “give” the Holy Spirit’s power to another, who conveys these things upon believers just as He determines, for the common good. (1 Cor. 12:7-11)

A. In 1 Cor. 12:7-11 Paul said that the Spirit distributes His gifts to each of us for the common good just as He determines.  Different believers have different gifts. The idea that all believers should speak in tongues is man’s idea, not God’s.  So if you don’t speak in tongues, it means you’ve been given a different gift. Your challenge is to discover the gift (s) you’ve been given and use it (them) for the good of the Church.  The inability to speak in tongues does not mean your faith is deficient.

If God told the preacher you mentioned to pray in tongues for an hour each day, then He will empower the preacher to do so, although this doesn’t seem to fit the Biblical purpose of speaking in tongues. In 1 Cor. 14:22 Paul said tongues are meant to be a sign for unbelievers, not for believers, and certainly not for God.  The preacher may have been referring to something some believers call a prayer language, which is not the same as speaking in tongues as the Bible defines it.

A. Listening  is not a gift per se because it’s a skill everyone has. It’s how you listen and what happens when you listen that matters.  If listening leads to you giving encouragement, your gift could be exhortation. (Rom. 12:8)  If it results in the Lord giving you a message for the speaker, maybe it’s knowledge (1 Cor 12:8).  If it’s to express sympathy, it may be mercy (Rom. 12:8)  Etc.

Do some self-observation to see if any of this fits. Everyone has at least 1 gift, and it’s exciting when you discover yours.

Some say you may never receive Him, some say (and they are the ones I agree with) that nowadays we receive the Spirit as guide, helper and rebuker of our conscience the minute we pray the sinners prayer and accept Christ. In the apostles days it happened suddenly as at pentecost, by laying on of hands by an apostle or at/after baptism so there seems to be no clear answer. For some this has become a sticking point in accepting brothers or sisters as true believers. Can you please give us some insight?

A. I’ve never found any Biblical mandate for the so-called baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The verses I’ve seen used to support it require a re-interpretation of the context in which they were written.  Paul’s detailed teaching on the subject of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12-14) doesn’t mention it.

However it does mention the distribution of spiritual gifts to believers. Paul said the Holy Spirit “gives them to each one just as He determines” (1 Cor. 12:11).  The opinion that this distribution stopped after the apostolic period ended cannot be supported in Scripture either, and the fact that there are people running around with legitimate spiritual gifts today is the best possible evidence for their existence.

A literal reading of Paul’s teaching will deny the need for a second baptism, deny the requirement to manifest a certain gift as evidence of a 2nd baptism, deny the belief that gifts are not for our time, and confirm the fact that every believer has been invested with at least one gift of the Holy Spirit.

As a well known and highly regarded teacher once said, “The question is not how much of the Spirit is in you, the question is how much of you is in the Spirit.”  In other words, a single-minded application of Romans 12:1-8 in our lives will reveal the Holy Spirit’s role for us in the body of Christ.

My question is ( a ) do we need prophets today in the church and (b) if we do what role do they play in the church?

A. The purpose of prophets in the church today is to “fill in the blanks” of prophecy already given by the Lord by providing added detail.  This is accomplished through revealing local or even personal information on how God’s plan is being fulfilled in our lives. Because of this no prophecy can add to, subtract from, or otherwise alter God’s word already revealed in Scripture. In the overall sense the Book of Revelation was God’s final word to mankind.

Because of this, I always advise waiting for independent confirmation on any “prophetic word” given you from someone claiming the gift of prophecy. That means someone who had no way of knowing what you were told tells you the same thing.  By the testimony of two witnesses a thing will be established. (Deut. 19:15)

A. The Phrases “soaking prayer”  and “healing rooms” describe practices that are controversial in Christianity, but for different reasons.

Practitioners of soaking prayer attempt to seek out the presence of God through mystical exercises.  In this sense it’s very similar to contemplative prayer and contemplative spirituality, both of which find their origins in Eastern Mysticism and came into Christianity through the New Age.

Healing rooms were developed out of the ministry of John G. Lake, a powerful evangelist and healer in the early 20th Century.  Many of his followers today are of the Pentecostal persuasion, and there are hundreds of Healing Room ministries in several countries.

My gift is that I am able to discern things about people, even if I don’t know them, sometimes just walking through the local Walmart. It is like the Lord tells me what is troubling certain people, and how to pray for them. It isn’t everyone just certain people. I also seem to know when someone is not telling the truth, as well as being able to know what the real situation is. I also have dreams that do come to pass, so much so, that my family takes it very seriously when I tell them a dream I have had.

I can remember having this gift since I was a small child, I always just knew things. Is this something that fits in with the scriptures?  I do know that “seers” are spoken of as evil in the bible, that is something I do not want to be a part of.  Thank you for you site, I read it every day and respect your opinion as scripture based.

A. Spiritual Gifts are from the Holy Spirit and are not inherited.  If you had these abilities before you became a believer, then your mother might be correct and you should be concerned.  If they didn’t come until after you were born again it appears that you’ve received the Gift of Knowledge spoken of in 1 Cor. 12: 8. This gift is a supernatural ability to know things about people or situations that you could not have learned any other way.

This question concerns false teaching–I have a hard time “going” to church.  I feel a problem with most of the messages being preached.   And I feel it is a valid concern.  I have young children and cannot have them being taught lies, fallacies, deception, whatever.  I feel it is my responsibility to “train up a child in the way they should go.”  As a result we, as a family,  are isolated from the body of Christ.

Do you advise to attend a church anyway, despite the false teaching?  Am I supposed to explain to my son that what he was just taught was false, but we go anyway?  I am confused.

I trust your teaching and am interested in what you have to say.  I know that gifts are meant to be shared, but how can one use discernment in this day and age ?

A. The gift of discernment is mentioned in 1 Cor. 12:10 where the Greek language literally means distinguishing between spirits.  Many people don’t realize that false teaching is often not just an innocent misunderstanding.  It can also be something introduced by the enemy to sow deception or confusion.  In these times it’s more important than ever for believers to exercise their discernment.  After all it was given to protect the body from false teaching.

In your own case, exercising your discernment may not change the place you’re in now, but you can use it to find a church where sound doctrine is taught and encourage others to attend there.