"When suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a violent tempest blast, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.
And there appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed and which settled on each one of them.
And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression [in each tongue in appropriate words]"
I believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity (God head). What helped me understand the Trinity was a beautiful worship song written by Chris Falson. These are the lyrics, "All Honour, All Glory. All Power to You. Holy Father we worship you. Precious Jesus Our Saviour. Holy Spirit we wait on You for Fire, for Fire."
The year I became a believer I was filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized in water. I earnestly desired to speak in my heavenly language (tongues). I prayed to the Lord "I'm not giving up until it happens" and in time it did happen. There was a bubbling up from my belly and I was speaking in an unknown language. I also experienced the Power of the Holy Spirit. It was the most amazing feeling like liquid love pouring into my being.
Just recently a friend told me this story. She had been for some time concerned because she had been prayed for to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit some years before, but hadn't experienced any feelings or emotions and doubted if she truly had received. She told me, "God gave me a dream that I was walking with a group of my Christian friends in a beautiful field. Suddenly we all saw something fluttering in the blue sky in the distance, and realized it was a bird. It continued to fly closer and came right up to us. It was a little dove! We all ducked our heads wondering, if it would alight on one of us? And then I felt these little bird feet land gently on my head, and I woke up with delightful and joyous feelings cascading over my body. My loving Heavenly Father saw my hurting heart and gave me that beautiful dream, so I truly knew that He had placed His Holy Spirit within me. What a precious gift was that dream, and the peace that it brought me." After hearing this from my friend I thought of the scripture when Jesus was baptized, "John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him." Matthew 3: 16.
I have been in meetings where people have fallen down under the power of the Spirit and I have experienced this as well. Sometimes these things are difficult to understand but I go back to the bible and Acts 9:1-4 tells us about Paul on the road to Damascus "and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him and he fell to the ground". In John 18:6 when "Jesus said to them, I am He, they went backwards and fell to the ground." In 2 Chronicles 5:14 "the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God." And in Ezekiel 1 :28 "This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face."
I praise God for the Holy Spirit, He is my Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener and Standby. There is no other feeling as wonderful as the experience of His presence. But it's not all about a feeling. We are filled for a purpose to be sharing Jesus with the lost and praying for the sick. I recently read in The Word For Today, "They didn't just celebrate in church - they took it to the streets."
