Where is the power

Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? 

“Yes of course; for some time now I have been enjoying Him.” 

How do you know you are filled?

 “Oh, I received tongues when hands were laid on me and have been speaking ever since hallelujah!” 

Was it tongues you were supposed to receive after the Holy Spirit?

 “Ah, everyone who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaks in other tongues.”

My expectation is a little different.

 “You mean you are one of those who don’t believe in tongues?” 

That’s not what I mean. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Act 1:8(ISV). 

“I know the verse...”

Wait; Jesus said we were to receive power - you talked about tongues. Where is the power we were to receive?

 “Ah, tongues are the manifestation of the power.”

 Is that right? If tongues are all you have I’d say there is something missing. “So how do you expect the manifestation of power?”

 Good question: power is defined as the rate of doing work. Within a given time the believers filled with the Spirit did a lot of work. He said, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in His name, didn't we? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching!" Act 5:28(ISV) the disciples who were filled with the Holy Spirit in a short time filled Jerusalem with the message. Have you filled your office and household with the gospel? Within the past 5 months what have you done?

“I don’t get what point you are making. Do you speak in tongues?”

Of course I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 1Cor 14:18(ISV)  

“So why are you against it?” 

I am not against it; I just want to draw attention to the real purpose of the Holy Spirit. We are to be witnesses to Jesus. Misuse of tongues can get in the way you know. Now if the whole church gathers in the same place and everyone is speaking in tongues, when uneducated people or unbelievers come in, they will say that you are out of your mind, won't they? But if everyone is prophesying, when an unbeliever or an uneducated person comes in he will be convicted by all and examined by all.  The secrets in his heart will become known, and so he will bow down to the ground and worship God, declaring, "God is truly among you!" 1Cor 14:23-25(ISV) I want to see this power of people being convicted in your meetings. When last did you tell someone about Jesus and His salvation?