But the Bible doesn't say, "They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and fell into a trance." It
says,"... they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and BEGAN TO SPEAK WITH OTHER
TONGUES..." (Acts 2:4).
Experiencing Joy Is Not Biblical Evidence For Receiving the Holy Spirit
Others who have received the Holy Ghost have said, "I don't have the joy I think I should have.
I expected to receive great joy."
But reading in Acts chapter 8, we find, "And there was great joy in that city" (Acts 8:8).
That's verse 8. We don't read that they were filled with the Holy Ghost, however, until verse 17.
In other words, great joy is not the evidence of being filled with the Holy Ghost.
You should be joyous just because you are a Christian. For example, in Acts chapter 8, when
Philip preached the Word in Samaria, there was great joy in the city because many folks were
born again. Also, there was great joy in the city because many healings and miracles took
place, and because devils were being cast out and people were being set free.
You see, joy is a natural human reaction to faith. If you will just believe God, the joy of the Lord
will take care of itself.
One man was complaining to me that he didn't have the joy he thought he should have,
although he was filled with the Spirit. I told him, "When you go home tonight, get on your knees
and say, 'Thank you, Lord, for filling me with the Holy Ghost. I know I was filled because I
spoke with other tongues just as they did in the Acts of the Apostles."'
I told him, "Then when you get into bed, just praise yourself to sleep, thanking God because
you received the Holy Ghost. The first thing when you wake up in the morning, give praise to
the Lord for filling you with the Holy Ghost. Then throughout the
day as you work, praise the Lord because you have received the Holy Spirit. If you are working
where no one is around, just praise Him out loud while you work. Otherwise, just praise Him
quietly to yourself while you work."
The next night as I stood on the platform in church, I saw this fellow in the congregation,
beaming as if someone had turned on a neon sign in the dark. I knew without asking him that
he had the joy of the Lord. He came to me immediately after the service and said, "Brother
Hagin, it worked just as you said."
Joy is a natural reaction to faith. If you will believe God, you won't have to worry about having
joy. If you don't have joy, it is simply because your faith isn't grounded securely in God and in
His Word.
Not What You Feel, But What You Do
Then someone said, "But I don't feel like I think I ought to."
But Acts 2:4 doesn't say, "They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and felt like they thought
they ought to." And Acts 9:17 doesn't say, "And Ananias went his way, and entered into the
house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus . . . has sent me,
that you might receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, and feel like you think you
ought to."