Power Given to Us by God

Heartland Church believes that in order to live the holy and fruitful lives that God intends, we have to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church.  With it comes the endowment of power for life and service and the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31).  This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of salvation (Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9).

With the baptism in the Holy Spirit come such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Hebrews 12:28), an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42), spiritual power (Acts 1:8), and a more active love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost (Mark 16:20). 

We believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is an endowment of power subsequent to conversion, given by God to anoint the believer for sanctification and evangelism.  It is our understanding that the supernatural charisma of the Holy Spirit is active within the body of Christ until the coming of the Lord.  Heartland Church strongly encourages the development of spiritual gifts within each individual, including but not limited to speaking in tongues.