The Holy Spirit
When I was 14 I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Congregational Holiness Church was holding their annual camp meeting where I participated and regularly went to the alter to seek for this blessing. Each night I prayed and could feel the Spirit of God on me but could not break through. The last night of that camp meeting soo many years ago I received the Holy Spirit. What was different than the previous nights? Well, I liken it to a soda clerk experience. I order a soda. The soda clerk fills the order and was holding it out too me. I kept begging for the soda, and he kept holding it out too me but I didn't know to reach out my hand to take it. Well we all obviously know how to receive a soda from a soda clerk. But receiving this gift from God can be a little awkward. For you see, or you can't see, God is holding out this Gift and just waiting for you, a believer in Christ, to take it. God wants you to have it. You need it to live the life He wants you to live for Him. Why would he possibly want to withhold it from you. I know a lot of Christians have had the same trouble I've had receiving the 'Spirit'. Some, because they couldn't receive it, have gone to great lengths to explain why it is not for us today. But listen to me, you need the Holy Spirit's baptism more today than anyone ever did. And the times are getting worse.
Now let me clarify an issue. When you are saved, God makes your spirit alive and he plants his spirit in you. So you say I've received the Spirit of God when you were saved. And I agree. But I'm talking about another experience. One you get that is signaled by the utterance of an unknown tongue. But an experience you have to keep getting, refreshing regularly, preferably daily. One that comes with power, power and strength that we will desperately need.
Here is the account of the Church's initial experience with the Holy Spirit (aka Holy Ghost in some versions)
Acts 2
New International Version (NIV)
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
This was a fascinating experience. Would you have liked to be there to experience this new thing God has done. I want to ask you a question. There were 120 in the facility when this happened. Were they saved before this experience? I believe they were, so I argue that this experience is in addition to the salvation experience. I have another scripture:
Acts 4:23-31
New International Version (NIV)
The Believers Pray
23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.“Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.Here you find the church, after being filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 being filled again. I have emboldened the referenced text. Did these folks need another salvation experience. No, they did not. At this time, there was no significant corruption in the church. Why did they get another infilling of the Holy Spirit? Because they asked for it, but not specifically. In verse 29 they asked to be able to speak the word of God more boldly (or great boldness). In verse 30 they ask God to stretch out his hands to heal and perform signs and wonders through them as servants of Jesus. I tell you brothers and sisters in Christ we need to be filled and continually refilled with the Holy Spirit in these last days. If you must, review all those arguments many have used to prevent you from seeking the Holy Spirit, being filled and expressing God in all his fullness. Once you have verified that they are just empty arguments, forget all the arguments many have preached against it and receive His spirit. Allow Him to utter tongues through you. Allow Him to prophesy through you. Allow Him to heal through you. And the list goes on... Without a new and fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit we cannot serve God with all the boldness, strength and power like God desires. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we, as Christians will be ineffective. The church will become corrupted and this list goes on and on also.
There is one argument that I would like to address that some have used to prevent servants of God from seeking and expressing the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 13:8-10
New International Version (NIV)
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
The argument contends that the baptism and speaking in tongues is no longer for us today because 'perfection' is here. This argument resolves around the word completeness, or perfection in other versions like King James Version. Their argument is that this perfection has come and is the canonized word of God, or when the Holy Bible was gathered into one big book. But the little books, 66 in all, were already written or being written when this book was wrote. One variant of this argument says the the baptism was given to the apostles to write the Holy Scriptures and now that these writings are complete there is no longer any need for this wonder gift. I say this, perfection or completeness mentioned in 1 Chorinthians 13 is arrived when Christ arrives after the 7th trumpet of Revelations, puts and end to sin and establishes his kingdom here on earth. Until then, the Holy Spirit is hear to 'manage' the Kingdom of God. Now the kingdom of God is the church and is primarily a spiritual kingdom. But one day the spiritual kingdom will become a physical kingdom ruled by Jesus Christ. So until Christ returns in all his glory, we need the baptism of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
New International Version (NIV)
The argument contends that the baptism and speaking in tongues is no longer for us today because 'perfection' is here. This argument resolves around the word completeness, or perfection in other versions like King James Version. Their argument is that this perfection has come and is the canonized word of God, or when the Holy Bible was gathered into one big book. But the little books, 66 in all, were already written or being written when this book was wrote. One variant of this argument says the the baptism was given to the apostles to write the Holy Scriptures and now that these writings are complete there is no longer any need for this wonder gift. I say this, perfection or completeness mentioned in 1 Chorinthians 13 is arrived when Christ arrives after the 7th trumpet of Revelations, puts and end to sin and establishes his kingdom here on earth. Until then, the Holy Spirit is hear to 'manage' the Kingdom of God. Now the kingdom of God is the church and is primarily a spiritual kingdom. But one day the spiritual kingdom will become a physical kingdom ruled by Jesus Christ. So until Christ returns in all his glory, we need the baptism of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
So then, why the Holy Spirit? Peter tells us part of the answer after his first infilling. Lets read:
Acts 2:16-21
King James Version (KJV)
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
This is a reference to Joel 2:28-32. God promises a great spiritual outpouring among his people. The reference to all flesh does not sound like a select few during the early church. But all flesh could be you and me if we are members of his kingdom.
I find this next scripture interesting. Some have a hard time accepting it even for the Church, let alone for ourselves individually.
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
This is a reference to Joel 2:28-32. God promises a great spiritual outpouring among his people. The reference to all flesh does not sound like a select few during the early church. But all flesh could be you and me if we are members of his kingdom.
I find this next scripture interesting. Some have a hard time accepting it even for the Church, let alone for ourselves individually.
John 14:12-14
New International Version (NIV)
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
I've heard several say that we can't do greater things than Christ. But in Christ's on words the contradiction is: Yes we can. Because we are filled with the same spirit as Christ. Or are you? Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit? Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. therefore Jesus was filled by the Holy Spirit from conception. To prove from Luke 1:41, Jesus being within his mother's belly and when she greeted Elisabeth was filled with the Spirit of Jesus, i.e. the Holy Spirit.
So If God wants to do a great work in your life will you yield to Him?
Some other reasons the Holy Spirit was given to us: Comforter, teacher, guide, gives us boldness, brings things to our remembrance, works the works of God in our lives.
Lets consider what happens outside the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
I've heard several say that we can't do greater things than Christ. But in Christ's on words the contradiction is: Yes we can. Because we are filled with the same spirit as Christ. Or are you? Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit? Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. therefore Jesus was filled by the Holy Spirit from conception. To prove from Luke 1:41, Jesus being within his mother's belly and when she greeted Elisabeth was filled with the Spirit of Jesus, i.e. the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:41
King James Version (KJV)
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
So If God wants to do a great work in your life will you yield to Him?
Some other reasons the Holy Spirit was given to us: Comforter, teacher, guide, gives us boldness, brings things to our remembrance, works the works of God in our lives.
Lets consider what happens outside the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
New International Version (NIV)
2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
Paul resolved not to 'win' the Corinthians with human words of wisdom but with the demonstrated power of the Holy Spirit. But in my mind, the church of recent has been won by human words of wisdom and we've left the Holy Spirit behind. And what a weak church we have. The church is ripe for the 'great falling away' mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 that precedes the appearing of the Anti-Christ, the man of perdition, or the destroyer. We are weak because human wisdom is not sufficient. We need demonstrated power in our lives which comes by the infilling or baptism of the Holy Spirit. The bible says there is a way that seems right unto man but the end thereof is death. The church is giving way for fleshly arguments of human wisdom and without the Holy Spirit and His power of discernment we will all be deceived with these ungodly lies. I just read a book by Steve Hill titled " The Spiritual Avalanche That Could Kill Millions" where he addresses the dangers of false teachings in the church. Everyone living a deceived life is in danger of being eternally lost whether they call themselves a Christian or not. I recommend you read it too.
New International Version (NIV)
2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
Paul resolved not to 'win' the Corinthians with human words of wisdom but with the demonstrated power of the Holy Spirit. But in my mind, the church of recent has been won by human words of wisdom and we've left the Holy Spirit behind. And what a weak church we have. The church is ripe for the 'great falling away' mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 that precedes the appearing of the Anti-Christ, the man of perdition, or the destroyer. We are weak because human wisdom is not sufficient. We need demonstrated power in our lives which comes by the infilling or baptism of the Holy Spirit. The bible says there is a way that seems right unto man but the end thereof is death. The church is giving way for fleshly arguments of human wisdom and without the Holy Spirit and His power of discernment we will all be deceived with these ungodly lies. I just read a book by Steve Hill titled " The Spiritual Avalanche That Could Kill Millions" where he addresses the dangers of false teachings in the church. Everyone living a deceived life is in danger of being eternally lost whether they call themselves a Christian or not. I recommend you read it too.
Finally, pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit with all your heart and receive it.
Finally, pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit with all your heart and receive it.
Luke 11:13
King James Version (KJV)
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Thanks for reading.
King James Version (KJV)
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for reading.
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