[John the Baptist is Speaking:] I
indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but He that comes after me is
mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with
the Holy Ghost, and with fire (Matthew 3:11);
For
John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost
not many days hence (Acts 1:5);
But
you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you
shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts
1:8);
And
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts
2:4);
Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38).
GOD PROMISES HOLY SPIRIT OUTPOURING
According to The Bible, in the Last Days:
The Holy Spirit will be poured out upon
all flesh and God’s people will receive visions and spiritual dreams:
And
it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh;
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream
dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the
handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit (Joel
2:28-29);
And
it shall come to pass in the last days, says 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: And on My servants and
on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall
prophesy (Acts 2:17-18).
Believers will do even greater works
than Jesus:
[Jesus is Speaking:] Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that believes on Me, the works that I do shall he do
also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father (John 14:12).
SPIRITUAL HUNGER IN THE WORLD
A deep spiritual hunger
exists in the world today and I believe it originates from man’s innermost need
to be reconciled to his Creator. Satan
takes advantage of this hunger by providing “counterfeit” demonstrations of his
limited
power by way of aberrant manifestations (UFO’s, Bigfoot, demon-possession, etc.),
and humanity’s insatiable curiosity and heightened interest in occult
activities and practices (psychic readings, horoscope readings, palm readings,
Tarot card readings, séances, New Age mysticism, etc.). More and more people, particularly troubled
teens, are becoming involved in Satanism and witchcraft, believing the occult
will satisfy their spiritual hunger. In
truth, they are victims of deceiving, seducing spirits (1 Timothy 4:1). This is why the apostle John warned us to “believe
not every spirit, but try the spirits” (1 John 4:1).
Satan is more than willing to demonstrate his limited power because he
wants the world to believe that his power is greater than God’s greater power. By the Word of God, Christians know this is not
true (1 John
4:4).
SPIRITUAL HUNGER IN BELIEVERS
Jesus also referenced a
spiritual “hunger and thirst” that relates to Believers:
Blessed
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be
filled (Matthew 5:6).
PERSONAL TESTIMONY
In 1994, I experienced the
spiritual hunger and thirst and filling that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 5:6. At the time, I was a member of a
denominational church where I had served faithfully for seven years. The denomination with which I was affiliated
was well-grounded in The Word of God and Prayer, the importance of living a
consecrated, holy life, and they supported Missions. However, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling
that something vital was missing in my spiritual life. Although I didn’t understand this spiritual
void, I was in fact hungering and thirsting for more of God.
Early in 1994, the Holy
Spirit led me to 1 Corinthians 14 and Acts 19.
As I learned more about the early church and how the apostles and
disciples operated in various supernatural gifts, my spiritual hunger increased. As I studied and meditated, the Holy Spirit
began to deal with me about speaking in tongues which was not taught in my
church. I believe this explained why my
pastor never preached sermons about the nine supernatural gifts of the Holy
Spirit (1
Corinthians 12:8-10). However,
I didn’t understand why since I knew Spirit-filled Christians who spoke in
tongues. Naturally, I wondered why my
church was different.
In my quest for truth,
I visited a Spirit-filled church in June of 1994 and responded to an altar call
to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
The pastor and a visiting minister anointed me with oil, laid hands on
me, and prayed for me to receive my prayer language. Although I didn’t leave that church speaking
in tongues, I believe that I received an impartation
for a later manifestation.
On Wednesday nights, my
pastor taught an adult class which I attended without fail. One night, he taught on the subject of entire
sanctification which he described as a “second work of grace.” I thought, “Maybe this is the missing element in my spiritual life.” Desiring to know more, I raised my hand and
asked, “What is our denomination’s
equivalent to the Spirit-filled church’s Baptism in the Holy Spirit?” Instead of seeing his eyes light up with the
excitement that I felt, I saw a stern look come across his countenance. After what seemed like a lifetime, he curtly replied,
“Sanctification.” I thanked him and
settled back in my seat to ponder his answer.
My question had been
asked from a hungering and pure heart; however, I would soon learn that my pastor
had a different opinion. After
dismissing the class, he asked me to remain behind because he wanted to talk to
me. As soon as the church emptied, he
accused me of having a bad spirit because I had tried to take control of his
class by asking that question. Taken
aback and hurt by his reaction, I assured him that was not the intent of my heart
at all. I explained that I was merely
hungering for more of God, but he didn’t believe me. By the time he finished dressing me down, I walked
out of the church in tears and wished that I had stayed home. I did not understand then what I know
now—that I had been targeted by a “religious spirit.” A religious spirit fears
loss of position, new things, and being wrong.
It will oppose all whom it believes threatens its sense of importance. A religious spirit is a murdering spirit and
will murder by words and deeds (Acts 6:8-12).
God understood the
desire and longing of my heart and He had no intention of disappointing
me. During Labor Day weekend in 1994, I
retired one evening hungering and thirsting even more for the manifested
presence of God in my life. Sometime
during the night, I awoke hearing myself whispering, “Father, fill me with your Spirit.”
I drifted back to sleep, but I awoke two more times hearing myself
whisper the same prayer. After the third
time, I suddenly felt a bubbly, effervescent “infilling” sensation rising from
the depths of my belly into my chest. It
felt like 7-UP bubbling up and spreading throughout my chest cavity. Great peace and joy flooded my SOUL
and as I drifted off to sleep, I instinctively knew that something unusual and wonderful
had just occurred:
[Jesus is Speaking:] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst
after righteousness: for they shall
be filled (Matthew 5:6).
[Emphasis Mine]
When I awoke the next morning,
I knew I was a different person! An
internal change had definitely taken place!
I felt a spiritual excitement that I had never known before and my stomach
was full of fluttering butterflies! I
felt giddy—like I could float on thin air and the love that I felt for God, Jesus
and the Holy Spirit was all-consuming!
For these
are not drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the
day. But this is that which was spoken
by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, says 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 (Acts 2:15-17).
As it happened, God still
wasn’t finished with blessing me! On Friday,
October 28, 1994, at exactly 4:50 a.m., I was abruptly awakened. As soon as my eyes focused, I suddenly saw
the word PRAY flash and blink in
front of my eyes like a neon sign—not once, but three times! I had never experienced an open vision before! At the same time, an overwhelming urge to
pray came over me. I immediately assumed
a position of prayer beside my bed. I
didn’t know what God wanted me to pray about, so I started talking about denominationalism
which I knew displeased God because of the denominational walls that divide the
Body of Christ. About ten minutes into
that prayer, my words suddenly changed from my known language to an unknown language! The utterance sounded like gibberish and I
couldn’t comprehend what I was saying, but it flowed out of me like a gushing
river!
And they
were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as
the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4);
[Jesus is Speaking:] He that believes on Me, as the scripture has
said, out of his belly shall
flow rivers of living water (John 7:38).
[Emphasis Mine]
I realized that “my spirit was speaking mysteries to God!”
For he
that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God: for no man
understands him; howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries (1 Corinthians 14:2).
Having previously visited
a Spirit-filled church and heard people speaking in tongues, I knew that God
had just blessed me with my own prayer language and I was ecstatic! After what seemed like a lifetime, I began to
sing “in the spirit” and I was mesmerized and amazed by the beautiful, lilting
melodies that were coming up out of my SPIRIT!
What is it
then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also (1 Corinthians 14:15).
Forty-minutes later
when I stopped singing “in the spirit,” I was so overwhelmed by this
supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit that I began to praise and worship
the Lord in my known language. (I
specifically remember singing “Blessed Assurance” several times.)
Sometime later, I went
to find my (then) unbelieving husband
who had fallen asleep watching T.V. in the living room. When I opened my mouth to tell him about my
experience, however, I began to speak in tongues again! I glanced his way and saw that his mouth had
dropped open and his eyes bugged out of his head!
I don’t know how long I
spoke in tongues—perhaps three minutes—but when I stopped, I drew a deep breath
and, in my known language, blurted: “What I’ve been trying to tell you is that
for the past hour, I’ve been speaking in an unknown language!” Well, in his usual uninterested way, he retorted,
“Obviously! Now, can I go back to sleep?” So much for trying to stir up excitement in
an unbelieving spouse!
Wherefore
tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not:
but prophesying serves not for them that believe not, but for them which
believe (1 Corinthians 14:22).
I eventually (and
reluctantly) met with my (then) denominational pastor in his office, to let him
know that Jesus had baptized me in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; John 1:33) in the
privacy of my home! Well, that meeting did
not go well. Once again, he dressed me
down, this time accusing me of having a demon because he had been taught that
speaking in tongues is of the devil:
Wherefore
I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy
shall be forgiven unto men: but the
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men (Matthew 12:31).
Jesus Himself was
accused of having a demon!
And the
scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and by
the prince of the devils casts He out devils (Mark
3:22).
This pastor also told
me that if I dared to speak in tongues in his
church, he would ask the congregation to stand to its feet and sing, to drown
me out. Once again I left his company in
tears, but not before telling him that I had no intention of sweeping God’s
blessing under the carpet like unwanted dirt.
I also let him know that I would leave his church before I would ever say or do anything to cause him
grief. Well, God closed this door, but He
had already gone before me and opened a new one! After leading me out of that denominational
church, He led me to a Spirit-filled congregation where I was lovingly embraced
and where my spiritual gifts were appreciated and exercised.
Immediately after my
relocation, God called me into the ministry of intercession. Every day for years, I spent hours in my
“secret place of prayer,” communing with the Holy Spirit, who taught me
everything I know about engaging in spiritual warfare through Spirit-led, Spirit-empowered
prayer!
Praying
always with all prayer and supplication in
the Spirit, and watching thereunto
with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (Ephesians
6:18);
Likewise
the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we
should pray for as we ought: but the
Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
End of Personal Testimony
LEGALISM & TRADITIONS OF MEN
QUENCH THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Making
the word of God of none effect through your tradition … (Mark 7:13);
Having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof: from such turn away … (2 Timothy 3:5);
Quench not the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
So many denominational churches are making the
Word of God void and of no effect because they are steeped in legalism and
“traditions of men.” They have no
interest in God having His Way in their services; their objective is to achieve
man’s agendas. As far as spiritual
warfare is concerned, they lack knowledge and wisdom, and they are trying to
battle a formidable foe, spiritually blind and powerless! Why?
Because they reject and deny Truth; specifically that the supernatural
and powerful early church of the Book of Acts, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit,
and the nine supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today. When asked to cite scriptures upon which they
base their beliefs, they are unable to do so because none exist!
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and
today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
[The Lord is Speaking:]
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:
because you have rejected knowledge,
I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to Me: seeing you have
forgotten the law of your God, I
will also forget your children (Hosea 4:6).
As a result, since an unbelieving and scoffing world
has no confidence in dead, powerless churches, they embrace false religions,
seeking truth, wisdom and power. Satan,
of course, is more than willing to give them a taste of his limited
power, to deceive and entrap them. Even
more tragic, Christian children are being sucked into the dark world of the
occult because they see no demonstrations of power in their family’s dead
churches. Powerless Christianity cannot
set people free from demon spirits or the works of the devil! Christians are growing weary of dull, routine
church services. They too hunger for a
supernatural touch from God!
POWERLESS CHRISTIANITY IS NO SOLUTION
The Bible says that in
the Last Days, men shall have a “form of godliness, but denying the power
thereof” (2
Timothy 3:5). Some Christians
apply this verse to dead churches, but it primarily references Satanism and the
occult. Still, many Christians are
walking in defeat today because dead religion has rendered them powerless. They are powerless, in part, because they have
been taught that God’s supernatural presence and power aren’t for them
today. This is a LIE straight out of the pit of Hell! Listed below are a few false doctrinal
teachings that are propagating fear, unbelief, and powerlessness in the Body of
Christ: (Scriptural answers to these
arguments are provided in parenthesis.)
The Baptism in the Holy
Spirit is not for the Church today (Acts 2:38-39; Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17-19;
Hebrews 13:8);
The Baptism in the Holy
Spirit and Salvation are one and the same (John 20:22;
Acts 1:4-5,8; 2:1-4; 19:2; John 7:37-38);
Believers can be
Spirit-filled and not speak in tongues (Acts 2:4; 8:14-24; Acts 9; 10:44-47; 19:6;
1 Corinthians 14:18,22; 2 Corinthians 13:1);
Sanctification, without
the evidence of speaking in tongues, is equal to the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. (There is no scriptural foundation for this
teaching. Nowhere in the New Testament
is the word sanctification used
synonymously with the infilling of the Holy Spirit.)
Recommended Reading:
David M. Pizzimenti’s 1996 book, Tongues: Scriptural Answers to Common
Objections (Oklahoma: Albury Publishing).
SATAN—DECEIVER & THIEF!
Satan seeks to rob
every believer of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and the supernatural gifts. He does not want Christians to hunger and
thirst for more of God—to the extent that they desire and seek the fullness of
the Spirit, or the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
He is okay with them rising to a certain spiritual level, but he does
not want them going as high as God wants to take them. Why?
Because he knows that without the Baptism in the Holy Spirit—which is
the “open door” to the nine supernatural gifts—a Christian is spiritually blind
and powerless to successfully wage war against him and his demonic army!
Satan’s strategy is to
place obstacles and hindrances (fear, prejudice, unbelief, false teaching,
etc.) in the way of any Christian who desires to advance to a new and higher
level of spiritual growth. He does this because
he wants our churches to be dead and powerless and filled with lukewarm,
passive and weak Christians who are satisfied with being spectators in church
instead of participators (Luke 24:49; Matthew 5:6).
If passive Christians
ever expect to do “greater works than Jesus,” they must let go of false
teachings that dictate that the Vocal, Revelation, and Power
gifts of the Holy Spirit are not for the Church today. This is a LIE that Satan uses to render God’s Army impotent! (1 Corinthians
12:8-10).
The Vocal
Gifts are:
Prophecy
Divers Kinds of Tongues
Interpretation of Tongues
The
Revelation Gifts are:
The Word of Knowledge
The Word of Wisdom
Discerning of Spirits
The Power
Gifts are:
Faith
Healing
Miracles
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH
I am convinced that today’s
world is more evil than it was when Jesus and the apostles walked the
earth. Satan knows his time is short, so
he’s making hay while the sun shines. God
empowered and equipped the New Testament believers so they would be bold and
effective witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They were effective witnesses for two
reasons: 1) they received the Baptism in the
Holy Spirit; and, 2) this baptism empowered them to perform the same
miracles that Jesus did. Upon witnessing
healing and deliverance miracles, signs and wonders, multitudes thronged to
Jesus and the apostles! This is what we
should be seeing in churches today; instead, people feel obligated (out of a
sense of duty) or are being bribed and coerced to attend dead churches!
Before Jesus ascended
to Heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit, and He commissioned ALL believers (including you and me) to
continue His supernatural ministry on earth (Mark 16:17-28; John 14:12). God meant for His Church to be modeled after
the New Testament Church, as depicted in the Book of Acts. He never intended for His Church to be dead
and powerless. Jesus and the apostles
were not wimps! So, what about the
Church today? Is a lifeless, impotent
Bride worthy of marriage to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?! I think not!
Many Christians forget
that the Bride of Christ is also the Army of the Lord. While the Bride prepares her wedding garment (Ephesians
5:27) for the arrival of her Bridegroom, God’s Army is at war with a
very real and powerful adversary—Satan and his demonic army! Is the Army of the Lord today comprised of spineless
wimps or seasoned fighting soldiers?
Consider this. Jesus is the Captain of the Army of God. He is also the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11;
John 1:33). In order to
assure victory in battle for each of His soldiers, Jesus has equipped us with
several powerful and effective defensive weapons: a full suit of armor, the Sword of the Spirit
(His Word), His Blood, and His all-powerful Name!
But this isn’t
everything that Jesus has for His soldiers.
He has also provided a “Top Secret” weapon to empower us to defeat the assignments
of the devil. Unfortunately, this weapon
has become too much of a “secret” in many Christian circles.
On the other hand,
Satan knows about (and is terrified of) this secret weapon. He will do anything to prevent God’s soldiers
from acquiring it. “The father of lies,”
his strategy is simple: He uses false
doctrinal teachings to convince many soldiers in God’s Army that this weapon
isn’t for them today. What is this
secret weapon?
THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT!
The New Testament
clearly teaches that God wants ALL
of His children (not just a select few) to walk in victory over the enemy (1 Corinthians
2:4-5; 4:20; John 14:12; Acts 1:8).
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a supernatural equipping that empowers
believers for effective witness and service.
Since God is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11), it is available
to EVERY Believer who hungers and
thirsts for righteousness. When a person
is “born again,” the Holy Spirit INDWELLS him.
When he receives the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit INFILLS
him and there is a HUGE DIFFERENCE!
(Luke 24:49; Matthew 5:6; Acts 2:4; 4:31; 1 Corinthians
3:16)
THE SUPERNATURAL LIFE!
Evidence of the
supernatural life begins after we receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit:
Begin to flow or operate in the
supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12)
Begin to cast out devils with
authority and power (Mark 16:17)
Begin to heal the sick (Mark 16:18)
Begin to set the captives free (Isaiah 61:1;
Luke 4:18)
Begin to boldly witness for Christ (Acts 4:13)
Begin to preach the Gospel (Acts 4:31)
Begin to flow in a new dimension of
Spirit-led, Spirit-empowered prayer, praise and worship, all of which are
spiritual weapons (Romans 8:26; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16)
Begin to destroy the works of Satan
(1 John 3:8)
Begin to experience spiritual dreams
and visions (Acts
2:17)
Experience righteousness, peace and
joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17)
Receive revelation knowledge of
God’s Word (Ephesians
1:17-18; Hebrews 6:4)
REASONS FOR THE BAPTISM
To build up, strengthen, and edify
the Church, as well as the believer’s inner spirit man (1 Corinthians 14:4; Jude 20)
To destroy the works of the devil
and to set people free from bondage (Mark 16:17-18; 1 John 3:8)
To evangelize the world and reach
the lost (Mark
16:15)
To demonstrate God’s love in
meeting the needs of suffering mankind (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18)
KEY FACTS ABOUT THE BAPTISM
It is a supernatural experience
separate from, and following, Salvation (John 20:22; Acts 1:4-5,8; 2:4; 4:31; 8:12-17; 13:52;
19:2; Ephesians 5:18)
It is God’s FREE gift to every
“born-again” believer, and it is received by faith (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:38-39)
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is
the Baptizer (Matthew
3:11)
The Baptism is evidenced by the
believer speaking in tongues as the Holy Spirit gives utterance (Acts 2:4; 8:12-19;
9:17; 10:44-46; 19:1-6; 1 Corinthians 14:18)
The Baptism is Jesus’ promise of
“rivers of living water” to every believer (John 7:37-39; 4:13-14; Isaiah 12:3)
HOW TO RECEIVE THE BAPTISM
You must be a “born-again” believer
in Jesus Christ (Luke
11:13; John 7:37-39; Acts 2:38-39)
You must remove any barriers that
would prevent you from receiving the Baptism (unbelief, pride, fear, false
teaching, etc.) The best way to remove
these barriers is to read and meditate on scriptures relating to the Baptism.
With childlike faith, ask Jesus to
baptize you with the Holy Spirit. He
will not give a serpent when you ask for a fish (Matthew 3:11 7:10; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16;
John 1:33)
Believe that you receive the gift
because you asked in faith (Luke 11:13)
Acting on your faith, begin
speaking out loud the new language that the Holy Spirit gives you. Remember, you cannot speak in your known
language and in tongues at the same time.
BENEFITS OF THE BAPTISM
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit …
Changes our priorities, lifestyle
and activities (Matthew
6:33)
Empowers us to become bold
witnesses and effective soul-winners (Acts 1:8; 4:29-31; 4:33)
Empowers us to conquer Satan,
demons, fear and sickness (Acts 1:8)
Enables us to flow in a new
dimension of praise and worship (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16)
Enables us to receive God’s
guidance and direction in all aspects of our lives (Romans 8:14)
Energizes our physical bodies so we
can walk in divine health (Romans 8:11; John 7:38)
Energizes our prayer lives and
makes us vessels of effective prayer (Jude 20; 1 Corinthians 14:2; Ephesians 6:18; James 5:16)
Equips us to walk in the Agape Love
of God (Romans
5:5; Jude 20-21)
Gives us a hatred for sin that
compares to God’s hatred, and a deeper repentance if we do sin (Romans 12:9)
Gives us a stronger desire to study
God’s Word (Acts
17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15)
Gives us spiritual revelation and
prophetic operations (1 Corinthians 14:6; 2 Corinthians 12:1; Ephesians 3:3)
Opens us up to the supernatural
realm of God and is the gateway to flowing in the nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit
(Hebrews
2:4; 6:4-5; John 7:38; Acts 1:8; 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; 14:1)
HOW TO MINISTER THE BAPTISM
The following are guidelines in helping “born-again”
Believers to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit:
To bypass any potential
hindrances to their receiving, ask:
“Are
you a “born-again” believer in Jesus Christ?” (Luke 11:13;
John 7:37-39; Acts 2:38-39)
“Are
you currently involved with any form of the occult?” If the answer is ‘yes,’ explain that he must renounce Satan and repent of any
further association with the occult.
“Do
you have any unconfessed or hidden sin in your life?” If the response is ‘yes,’ lead the person in a simple prayer of repentance and
salvation.
Explain to the person that he must
remove any other barriers that would prevent him from receiving the Baptism in
the Holy Spirit. For example: false doctrinal beliefs; fear; ignorance of
God’s Word; the natural mind; religious pride; unbelief;
Lay hands on the candidate and tell
him that the power of the Holy Spirit will come upon him (Acts 8:17-19; 9:17; 19:6);
Instruct the person to act on his
faith by speaking out loud the new language that God gives him. Tell him not to be concerned that the
language sounds odd or is repetitive. It
is not unusual for the Holy Spirit to give only one word or one syllable. What matters is that the person exercise
his faith and speak out loud what the Holy Spirit gives him. The person must also understand that he
cannot speak in his known language and in tongues at the same time. Explain that as his inner SPIRIT speaks
mysteries to God, his inner man is also being strengthened and edified (Acts 2:4; 8:12-19; 9:17;
10:44-46; 19:1-6; 1 Corinthians 13:1; 14:2,4,18).
CONCLUSION
Brothers
and Sisters, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is VITALLY IMPORTANT! Power-wise, it is the difference between driving
a one-horse cart and being behind the wheel of a Buggati or Lamborghini! This is why Satan hates this secret weapon
and why he has sown so many lies and seeds of doubt and fear, to prevent believers
from receiving ALL that God wants to give them!
Christ told His revolutionary followers after His resurrection that they
should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father … the
Holy Spirit Baptism (Acts 1:4-5).
Jesus said that He would build His church and the gates of hell would
not prevail against it. That governing
Church—His Church—would be filled with ruling and reigning disciples (a
priesthood of kings) that would need Holy Ghost power to succeed. Jesus hasn’t changed. Satan hasn’t changed. The Church, however, has changed and because
the world is even more wicked today, the Church needs the same supernatural
power! If you haven’t received the
Baptism in the Holy Spirit, you are at a distinct disadvantage against Satan
and his demons who are supernatural spirit beings. You cannot fight supernatural, demon spirits
in the physical realm in your own strength and wisdom and expect to win. To live a supernatural, victorious life, you
must be “endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
Receive the baptism today and see how the Holy Spirit will transform
your life just like he did mine! Even
more important, Satan will recognize you as a serious threat to his kingdom and
he will rue the day that he ever messed with you and your family!
Receive and Be Blessed!
