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The Baptism in the Holy Spirit Study

The Baptizer in the Holy Ghost

 

TEXT: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh 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: [12] Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
 

It is a terrible thing to witness the present day modern church, at least the "system," or 'professing church," sink into ever growing and deeper apostasy on  a daily basis. This should not surprise us because the Holy Spirit warned through Paul the church would do just that as we neared the last of the last days and the advent of the Rapture. We're living in those days friend, believe that or not to your own peril or blessing, but Jesus is coming soon! It gets quite humorous at times to hear preachers deny this very fact of the Lord's soon return but I ask you a very pointed and serious question: when was the last time you ever heard a message in tongues and the interpretation given concerning the Second Coming that said, "I'm not coming soon; relax, enjoy your programs, can up frozen foods for the Tribulation, no need to hurry, no need to make evangelism a priority, no need to make souls a priority, no need to watch and pray; take it easy and don't prepare for anything; I'm not coming till the end of the Tribulation or 'I'm telling you to get ready for the wrath of the Antichrist" LET THIS WRITER ANSWER THAT - YOU NEVER HAVE HEARD SUCH FOOLISHNESS IN TONGUES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

No, when one hears a message in tongues about the Second Coming it's always "BEHOLD I COME QUICKLY; Get ready and ready QUICK; the TIME IS SHORT; Make your garments PURE and HOLY, WHITE and READY for I am coming SOON!" That is actually what was happening at the church of Thessalonica when Paul had to write a second letter comforting them the coming of the Lord had not taken place; there were those giving such erroneous messages in tongues claiming Jesus had already came (2 Thes. 2:1-8) He has not come a Second time YET, but HE IS coming!

 

He is even at the door and it behooves us as Believers to be as vigilant, prepared, sober, watchful, aware and FULL OF THE HOLY GHOST as we can possibly be!

 

Romans 13:11-14 - And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. [12] The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the Armour of light. [13] Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. [14] But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.

1 Thes. 5:1-5
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. [2] For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. [3] For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. [5] Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
 

We have just come through one of the most riveting Centuries known to mankind - the 20th Century. Since 1900, the world has seen some of the most powerful technological advances known to mankind; it has also seen the most number of believers come to Christ than at any other time in church history; in addition there was fulfillment of more prophecy in the 20th Century than any other century prior to it with the advent of Israel becoming a nation in 1948 and the current ongoing Middle East crisis that grabs our daily headlines.

 

This past Century also saw another great event as it relates to the Church Age - the greatest number of people baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with other tongues as recorded in Acts 2:4 than ANY other time in human history! The message of the Spirit baptism is no longer just an experience that happens to those who are part of a Pentecostal church; it is occurring in Christians lives and hearts in almost every single denominational group we know of. There is strong resistance to this message to say the least in many circles including a growing resistance and rejection of the Spirit's work among those who call themselves "Pentecostals" and "Charismatics." When the Pentecostal message was renewed in the early 1900s, there was great persecution of those who preached it and many who received the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with other tongues were labeled as demonic, disturbed and crazy. The Pentecostals of the early 1900s didn't care how much they were persecuted or what names they were called, the knew what was happening was from God and wanted the POWER more than the prestige of being accepted by the so-called church. Today's Pentecostal movement has so backslid from God we care more that we're accepted by the Baptists and Methodists and Presbyterians and in the name of "unity," (which is a FALSE UNITY and godless) we shun and reject the moving and operation of the Holy Ghost that made us who we are and defined the latter days outpouring as foretold by the Apostle James:

 

James 5:5-7
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. [6] Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
[7] Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
 

The early rain was the work of the Holy Ghost in the early church age during the time of the Apostles; the latter rain began with the outpouring of the Spirit in Los Angeles, California at Azusa Street under the prayer burden of men like Frank Bartleman, Evan Roberts, A.M. Smeale and William J. Seymour, men of God whom as the Holy Spirit said in Hebrews this "world was not worthy of," and many whom the well-known theologians lampooned, mocked and accused of every thing under the sun short of calling them Satan incarnate! The famous Baptist theologian A.W. Pink called the Azusa outpouring "the vomit of Satan." Well Mr. Pink that was real spiritual and discerning now wasn't it. It's amazing how that those the majority of the church world scorns and mocks are those most adored by heaven; and those lauded and applauded and praised by the so-called church are as godless as godless can be and no one recognizes it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How far we have left the power and discernment of the Holy Ghost in these last days.

 

Prior to the Azusa Street outpouring in 1903 when the "latter" rain we speak of actually began, the message of the baptism of the Holy Ghost was seldom preached. After Azusa Street, the Holy Ghost birthed this message in the hearts of preachers world wide and as a result scores and scores of millions of Believers in Jesus have been gloriously filled with the Spirit with the evidence of speaking with other tongues.

 

This coming February (2007) will mark the 20th anniversary this writer was gloriously filled with the Spirit in his aunt's kitchen in Atlanta, Ga. on a cold winter night. I'll never forget that night for it has set the course I'm on today to be frank. I wished I could tell you this journey since that glorious night was one filled with few potholes and troubles, but it was not. I wished I could tell you that I learned early on to not just experience a one time touch from the Spirit, but learn how to WALK in the Spirit, to depend on the Spirit, to be led of the Spirit, to obey the Spirit of God, to yield myself to the Spirit of God, to walk in humility and submission before Him - all things necessary for a victorious Christian life, which sadly I didn't after that glorious night.

 

I didn't have anyone back then tell me that the Spirit of God works within the parameters of the Cross of Christ and the Cross only. I wished I could tell you that I understood all these things instantly but I didn't. I received a prayer language of tongues in 1987 that I little used in the months and years following to my own peril which led to failure after failure because and instead of being in tune with the Holy Spirit I was in tune with an experience instead of being in tune with God! It's taken me these 20 years to learn (and I'm still in kindergarten) to be led of the Spirit and depend on His guidance and direction for my life but without the moving and operation of the Spirit this writer has no ability, no power, no ounce of anointing and NOTHING to offer those he comes in contact with each day through this website or any other avenue the ministry the Lord graciously opens for us.

 

I can tell you as I write this journal that I am as thirsty for Him today more than I was 20 years ago because I've seen the results of trying to live a life on the arm of the flesh. I was a young kid preacher then with so much arrogance and pride that would be dealt with through the years as the Holy Ghost backed off at times allowing me to walk in my own stubbornness and falling into deep terrible bondage at times including a 3 year span in 1996-1999 where I almost completely walked away from the faith. He'll do that friend; if we want our arrogance and pride and not heed His direction and guidance He will leave us to our own desires and designs. We will find yourself as I did -  flat on our back with no one we love; left and alone in a world that has always been a tough place to exist anyway, but for the backslidden child of God, 1000 times worse!

 

The church needs to come back to this power of the Holy Spirit I speak of. The sovereign power of the Spirit can break into the lives of individuals and churches with supernatural grace and manifestations, which sadly never takes place in most churches because "rationale" has replaced faith and stupidity reigns in unbelief through the mouths of backslidden preachers claiming this power "went away" with the apostles and/or if it does exist today it has no place in the church. Some go as far as to say the baptism in the Holy Ghost is of Satan which borders on blaspheming the Holy Ghost! Preacher, I don't care where you got your degree or degrees plural from, but as an old high school science teacher told me years ago "better to keep your mouth shut and people not think you're a moron than to open it and prove their point!" If you want to be ignorant of what I speak of - be ignorant. Stay stuck in your unbelief and never move with the supernatural power of God in your church if you so desire - no one, including God Himself will force you believe what He says in His Word is Truth. Preach your sermonettes that last 15 minutes and put even the bugs in the church asleep; sing your songs that have about as much life in them as polar bear's nose in the North Pole does; pray your 3 minute prayers that have absolutely no anointing in them and demons laugh at instead of tremble at the power of the Spirit on them; send everyone home at 12:00 sharp so they can get in front of their TV at 12:15 sharp with no convicting touch or change in their hearts or lives! OH, are you hearing me reader? Are you hearing me man of God?

 

God has called you sir not to stand behind that pulpit and preach your unbelief into the sheep He has given you to pastor; He's called you to get FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST and be endued with power from on high that your sermons will produce more than a sleeping pill on Sunday morning. Pastor, want to know why your altars are barren each week? Pastor, want to know why you have so much division and discontentment in your church? Pastor, want to know why even you sit there and go to sleep some Sundays with the song service?? YOUR CHURCH IS WITHOUT THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST! YOUR CHURCH NEEDS TO REPENT and ask the HOLY GHOST TO COME BACK and do His work among the people and in the people and through the people STARTING WITH YOU PASTOR; STARTING WITH YOU SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER; STARTING WITH YOU DEACON; STARTING WITH YOU WORSHIP LEADER; STARTING WITH YOU man of God! Oh, the church needs another Pentecost. We need another fresh enduement of power from on high!

 

We believe God is pouring out His Spirit on Christians throughout the whole world. Hundreds of years before Christ, the prophet Joel said:

 

Joel 2:28-29
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: [29] And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 

 

Peter repeated this very verse on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17) to explain what was happening when they observed more than a hundred people who had received the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

 

Acts 2:17
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:
 

Peter went on to say:
 

Acts 2:38-39
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 ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. [39] For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
 

We believe outside being born again, which is the greatest thing that happens to the sinner,  the baptism in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with other tongues is the greatest experience a CHRISTIAN can receive after they have come to Christ! I want to say it again. Salvation is the greatest gift one can receive as a sinner before they know Jesus. Once they know Jesus, the greatest event in the life of the born again Child of God is the baptism in the HOLY GHOST with the evidence of speaking with other tongues. This is why God saved us - not to just take us to heaven - had it been just that He'd drowned us all in the baptismal tank - but to make us a living habitation for His Spirit - to be a WITNESS to all the earth - first in Judea, then in Samaria and then to the uttermost parts of the EARTH!

 

Ephes. 2:20-22
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; [21] In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: [22] In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
 

Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye 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 is not written to SINNERS but to BELIEVERS who have been baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with other tongues as the SPIRIT OF GOD gives them the utterance. This journal we write today is for three groups of people mainly we pray come across it to find encouragement and hope:

The Bible is FULL of teachings and theological insight about this experience and manifestations that seem to accompany those who have received the Holy Ghost baptism. Multitudes of hungry and thirsty Protestants and Catholics through the world have had this experience, but many, like myself in 1987, might not completely understand the biblical reasons why they received this blessing or what they are to do with it.

They simply do not know what to believe, but might have observed someone receiving the experience or perhaps have read about it in the Bible or another Christian book. They want to know more. They are hungry for God and whatever His will is for their lives. When most get more understanding, they readily receive this experience by faith and with gladness.

There is a fourth group this journal we write today is NOT for. There are those that even if Jesus Christ came down Himself and told them this experience was real, for the church, for them, of God, not of the Devil, invaluable to their Christian walk, necessary for ALL those involved in Christian service, required to be able to live victoriously, they'd still not believe. Many independent Baptists love to slam their fists down on pulpits portraying their so-called "spiritual discernment" qualities claiming all of this is of Satan. Well if there are any independent Baptists reading this let this writer give you a quick memo: if the baptism of the Holy Ghost is of Satan then it's the only thing of Satan that will make you love Jesus more; it's the only thing of Satan that makes you read your Bible and love the study of God's word more; it's the only power in the universe that if of Satan makes one pray with greater power and authority; if it's of Satan then it's the only thing of Satan that gives a greater revelation of Jesus Christ and WHO HE IS, WHAT HE CAME TO DO, WHAT HE IS DOING and the SOON HOUR OF HIS RETURN to the believer! If all of this of Satan - well I guess this writer wants it!

 

You see the truth is Satan knows that when a person is filled with the Holy Ghost and begins walking in the Spirit's ministry of intercession through tongues that believer is ripping Satan's kingdom into shreds. Satan KNOWS that one believer filled with the HOLY GHOST can do more damage to him than 10,000 crammed into a stadium listening to a self-help new age guru dressed up in preacher garb soothing their ears and tickling their flesh with messages that have no conviction, no power, no worth and is leading millions to hell in a hand basket. Satan knows this friend; preacher, I ask you  - can Satan cast out Satan? can darkness cast out darkness? Can wickedness cast out wickedness?

 

Matthew 12:31 - 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. [32] And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

 

Mark 3:22-29 - And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. [23] And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? [24] And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. [25] And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. [26] And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. [27] No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. [28] Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: [29] But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: [30] Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

Romans 8:26-28
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth 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. [27] And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. [28] And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Preacher, I say it again - if you don't want to believe in what I'm talking about don't believe. I admonish you however in the name of our Lord Jesus to watch what you say about the Holy Ghost! You are bordering on blaspheming the Holy Spirit when you ascribe the works of God to the works of Satan. Read Mark 3:22-29 carefully man of God before you get up in that sacred desk the next time mouthing your unbelief to your people. This journal is not for your sort who won't believe no matter what is revealed. This journal is for those hungry for God seeking more of Him, wanting to know how to find their way to victory and have an infilling of God's power that will change their lives forever!

 

The Biblical foundation for what we state in this journal is without debate. There may be denominational statements that debate what we say but I'm not here concerned about what a denomination says about the Holy Ghost; I'm worried about what God's WORD says and His Word alone! Some would say "well that is divisive," and it does not bring "unity" to the Body. Friend, Jesus Christ never came to bring "peace" among those steeped in unbelief and wickedness. He came to bring a sword! My intentions with this journal is not to intentionally offend even though I know writing this will offend some.

Matthew 10:34-39
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. [35] For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. [36] And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. [37] He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. [38] And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. [39] He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

 

Forty Days And FOR Today!

 

Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh 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:
 

The mighty baptism in the Holy Ghost is both pertinent AND timely and the Lord wants to baptize you today! We should always be HUNGRY and THIRSTY for ALL that God has for us as believers so we can become a mighty witness of His grace and power in an increasingly needy and hostile world. You need the Holy Ghost friend! You need the baptism of power spoken of in Acts and prophesied by John the Baptist when he said, "He shall baptize you with the HOLY GHOST and with FIRE!" Those words have been fulfilled through CHRIST and on the Day of Pentecost 2,000 years ago. We are saved to be filled and we are filled because we are saved. The Cross was so man could be filled with the Spirit and the Holy Spirit comes because of the blood of the Cross! The two work hand in hand through CHRIST. All things point to CHRIST. The Spirit's job is to point the believer to CHRIST; the Spirit's ministry is to form CHRIST within the believer!

 

Let's look at John the Baptist once again. John's ministry and baptism was limited to water as stated in the gospels. This was because the Lord had not died on the Cross and the blood shed to set man free from Satan's claim of possession. When John died, he along with every Old Testament saint, went to a place called Paradise because of this very claim! There had to be payment for sin. All the sacrifices from Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, could not "take away" sin but THE LAMB OF GOD, the hope of glory, came that man may be cleansed from sin and that sins would no longer be pushed aside, but TAKEN AWAY once and for all! The Bible tells us that after Jesus' resurrection he spent forty days instructing His disciples and followers about the kingdom of God. Part of those instructions included a command for them to "not leave Jerusalem but wait for the promise, or gift, my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about." Jesus then repeated the very words the Baptist spoke less than 2 months prior:

 

Acts 1:4-5
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. [5] For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

God offered this powerful gift to the early church through the invitation of His Son; Through misunderstanding, misinterpretation of Scripture, and naiveté, countless people have missed this wonderful GIFT., or blessing. Sadly Christians, especially those in this modern church atmosphere that has produced one of the greatest spirits of laziness, lethargy and apathy since the beginning of the early church, have not nor do not earnestly desire ALL that God has for them. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is for you and for me friend. It helps us be all that God wants us to be and He wants to give this gift to ALL who desire it. Why would we as the modern church not want such? Why would we put all our efforts into resisting this power? Why would we wrestle the scriptures to justify our unbelief and cause those willing to listen to us to miss out on one of the greatest experiences the believer can partake of?

 

God has offered the church today this same gift that will give those who ask for it greater power than anything the church can acquire or develop naturally. Luke calls it "dunamis," or dynamite, when the power of the Holy Ghost is released in one's life. That is the key. We're not pushing tongues even though we believe and teach that EVERY recipient, with no exceptions, who receives this mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost will speaks in tongues INITIALLY as the spirit of God gives them the utterance. Tongues is the door into the realm of what God has; they are not an end to a means as I sadly found out 20 years ago. I didn't have some gray haired old dude sitting at a computer writing a journal like this one encouraging me to not stop at the initial infilling but to MOVE ON to perfection and maturity in the HOLY GHOST! In other words - get filled then GET MATURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grow up unto Christ into ALL things as the Spirit of God leads, guides and directs.

 

The baptism of the Spirit was FIRST experienced on the Day of Pentecost recorded by Luke:

 

Acts 2:1-4
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. [2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now, let the reader be clear about several points in this passage:

Acts 1:15
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

Acts 2:8-11
And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? [9] Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, [10] Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, [11] Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
 

Pentecost took place 50 days after Calvary, 40 days after the Resurrection; The number 40 is a number of testing and probation. Israel was being offered once more the Kingdom of God through the outpouring of the Holy Ghost yet as Isaiah prophesied, "they would not hear."

 

Isaiah 28:11-12
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. [12] To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

Some 40 years later, Israel's probation ended and Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman emperor Titus who lined the streets of Jerusalem with nearly 1 million crosses. Hear me child of God. The church world today sits in the same place as Israel sat so long ago. Paul warned us in the 11th chapter of Romans that if we through hardness of heart and unbelief reject the counsels of heaven we, like national Israel of old, will be cut off as she!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like what I'm about to say or not but it is the truth; the modern church sits dangerously close to this very state - because of our hardness of heart and unbelief toward the things of the Spirit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Peter preached the first known sermon after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and explained that this experience was the fulfillment of what the prophet Joel said would happen in the last days:

 

Acts 2:17
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:

His challenge to Israel is his challenge to us today - REPENT and be baptized, every one of you in the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST for the forgiveness of sins (SALVATION); and you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT) Some argue that this "gift," is received at salvation and salvation alone, that there is no other work of grace once we get saved. That is the doctrinal stance of most churches to be frank and it is in most regards RIGHT, yet it is also wrong at the same time. Let me explain.

 

A Separate Work Of Grace AFTER Conversion!

 

The Holy Spirit DOES automatically accompany salvation when a person is born again. A person DOES receive the Holy Spirit when he is saved, but there is a VAST difference between being BORN of the SPIRIT and being BAPTIZED INTO the Spirit. John said "he shall baptize you WITH the HOLY GHOST and with Fire."  We believe there is a definite and separate experience subsequent to salvation! We believe this experience is not comparable to, nor simultaneous with, salvation. It does NOT make a person "more saved," nor does it better prepare one for heaven. What it DOES do and a better phrase is what HE does is gives the believer POWER FOR SERVICE.

 

Neighbor, you know this already. When we are saved we will face every demon power known to hell and few not even known to be frank. Every single power of darkness will be arrayed against you child of God to thwart your Christian walk with God, get you to succumb to temptation, get you to quit believing, get you so discouraged you'll quit, throw every sickness, bondage and work of hell at you in hopes of getting your faith shaken in Christ! That is the reality of the Christian faith. Don't be foolish enough and listen to this milk-sop gospel as I call it that tells you that if you're having troubles and difficulties in your walk with God you are somehow not in God's will - HOGWASH. That is not Bible Christianity. Look at the apostles, the patriarchs, King David, Solomon, the prophets and even Jesus Himself. Their lives were not one of ease or without difficulties. The DIFFERENCE however, especially the lives of the apostles, was that after Pentecost and they had been baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with other tongues they had a POWER inside of them greater than hell itself could ever be. When John wrote it he meant it and had all of heaven behind him: greater is HE that is in You than HE (the enemy, Satan) who is in the world! Praise God Praise God.

 

Some unbelieving theologians have erroneously claimed that everyone should go to Jerusalem today if we wish to be filled with the Spirit in the manner of the early church. This is said in jest to insinuate there is no such experience available to the believer today. There was a reason why Jesus told the disciples to await the Comforter in the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was literally the "city of the King," and was the proper place for the INITIAL outpouring of the Spirit to take place. After this original incident, however, the Holy Spirit fell WHEREVER hungry hearts reached out to God; and He is STILL doing the same today - whether here in Knoxville, in New Orleans, in Miami, Los Angeles, Boston, or when He came in power 20 years ago in a small kitchen in Atlanta, Georgia at 11:30 PM at night and baptized this writer GLORIOUSLY in HIS POWER! I'm not ashamed of Him friend; you can hide your experience from others if you like but I'm not worried what the religious think of me. I don't care if every preacher in the entire state of Tennessee with degrees a mile long gets up in their pulpits and refutes what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit baptism -THIS WRITER IS GOING TO BELIEVE GOD and enjoy the benefits of being baptized in the HOLY GHOST!

 

Three weeks ago the Lord opened a door for us to preach at an inner city ministry where 52 souls came forward at one time to get saved. We'll never know who actually got born again that day but this one thing I know - ALL who came down were drawn by the power of the Spirit and touched by God that day. That was the largest one day altar service that same inner city ministry had experienced since being established 4 years ago. I don't say that to gloat in myself - I say that to GLOAT IN THE HOLY GHOST! He is the One who brought those 52 to the altar, not me. He is the One who touched their hearts and lives and changed the course of eternity for some; we're not naive to believe all 52 will make it because in all honesty some will walk away as quick as they come down when the cares of life and the deceitfulness of sin seeks to kick in; but some WILL make it and grab hold of what happened that day and find eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Neighbor, it's not about saying a prayer, but it's about a NEW BORN experience, a change in our hearts - BEING BORN AGAIN by the Spirit of God!

 

The message of the TRUE church is the message of the BIBLE - "we preach CHRIST CRUCIFIED!" And when we Preach Christ Crucified, we are preaching the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and the message of the Baptism in the Holy Ghost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We're going to trust God and believe God to open the hearts of those who come. We don't have a clue of what is ahead yet but we do know this - it's not going to be boring by the help and grace of Almighty God and the power of the Holy Ghost!

 

No, the Holy Spirit fell on places other than Jerusalem according to Scripture. In Acts 10:24 we ready of Cornelius and his household calling unto God in the city of Caesarea, the city where the Holy Ghost first fell upon the GENTILES, of which this writer is one and is thankful for this event as recorded by Luke:

 

Acts 10:24
And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.

 

None of Cornelius' household had to go to Jerusalem to be filled. In the ninth chapter of Acts, the Apostle Paul was outside the city of Damascus when the Holy Ghost came upon him. In Samaria the Spirit of God was poured out on those upon whom Peter and John laid hands. The 18th chapter of Acts also mentions the district of Phrygia and Galatia, where Paul spoke to the disciples of John who were later filled with the mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost.

 

Acts 19:1-3
And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, [2] He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. [3] And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

Acts 8:10-15
To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. [11] And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. [12] But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. [13] Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. [14] Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: [15] Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

Chapter 18 and 19 also speaks of ALL the churches pertaining to the early move of God on this earth -were touched by the power of the Spirit of God in the manner this writer speaks of today. Anyone who would attempt to isolate a single passage of scripture, which most unbelieving saints do when refuting what the Bible has to say on this subject in light of their denominational teachings, ignores a far greater mass of evidence found elsewhere throughout the Word of God.

 

The Holy Spirit baptism is a separate work of Grace. We find that the individuals referred to in Acts 1:4-5 were already saved. There's no doubt about this yet they were specifially told to WAIT for the promise of the Father. Luke 11:13 Jesus spoke of the Holy Ghost being given by the Heavenly Father to those who ASK it of Him.

 

Luke 11:13
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?
 

Work of Grace means basically that as anything else we receive from the hand of the Father it is given FREELY and is a gift.

 

Acts 2:38
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 ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Just a quick thought to interject here and then we will close this journal which is part of an ongoing series of messages on the Holy Spirit. The term "gift" here gets people very confused with what Paul said about the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Cor. 12 which include tongues and interpretation. The Acts 2:4 experience and the 1 Cor. 12:8-12 "spiritual" are not one and the same. Many people have been baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with other tongues but never been used in the "gift" of tongues as recorded in 1 Cor. 12. Someone was real quick on the draw just the other day during a Bible study to say "well the Bible says if you don't have an interpreter present then all of this tongue stuff is just babble and gibberish." In a sense of the interpreter they are like so many Christians who get the "gift" of tongues confused with the initial evidence of the Holy Ghost - speaking with tongues as the Spirit gives utterance as a prayer language or devotional tongue if you will. One is for corporate gatherings which in those corporate gatherings there NEEDS to be an interpreter IF someone gets up and is addressing the body in an unknown language.

 

However, if in my prayer closet I am praying or even if I'm in a small group praying to God and the Spirit of God takes over my praying in an unknown language I don't need an interpreter for that!!!!!!!!!!! As I've told many, friend, we don't WANT an interpreter when the Holy Ghost is praying through us making intercession on our behalf according to the will of God. it would scare us spitless if we knew what He was asking the Father to do to us and for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Romans 8:26-28
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. [27] And he that searches the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. [28] And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
 

We are soon to devote an entire journal on this one passage but let me state something real quick here and then we will close this out. Those "groanings which cannot be 'uttered,'" are TONGUES as the Spirit of god GIVES THE UTTERANCE. The word "uttered," therein verse 26 is extremely close to the meaning of the original word used in Greek for "utterance," in Acts 2:4. The Spirit is in charge in both passages, not us! He is subject to us in the sense we have a will but when we give him full control he HELPS our infirmities with these groanings and utterances that we cannot understand in our own language.

 

The Sinner Cannot Receive This Precious Gift

 

John 14:17
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

As we close this journal which we will pick up in part two of this series, let me state this all important point about the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The SINNER cannot receive this gift! Jesus said even the SPIRIT OF TRUTH, WHOM THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE, means that the spiritual things of God cannot be received by the natural man, which is another term for the lost.

 

The Spirit's greatest office and work to the sinner is His role as convicter of sins as He woos and draws the sinner to Christ.

 

John 16:7-11
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. [8] And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: [9] Of sin, because they believe not on me; [10] Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; [11] Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

 

Friend, this is why the church so desperately needs to come back to the power of the HOLY GHOST! Only He can convict of sin and bring the lost in to Christ. The Holy Spirit DOES come in at conversion and begins a work in our hearts and lives but His work is FAR from complete as some erroneously teach and believe. Many non-Pentecostals believe there is a filling of the Spirit after conversion and one must seek the Lord for this and overtly ask for it; however, they deny it is accompanied by speaking in tongues; we'll deal with that directly in an upcoming journal SOON. For now let me state this again so there is no question on where this writer stands.


YES, one does receive the Holy Spirit (in measure) at salvation! Jesus said in John 6:44 and Paul states in  1 Cor. 12:3 unequivocally that without the Holy Ghost's office of drawing and conviction, no sinner can come to Christ! But there is MUCH more the Holy Spirit has in store for the believer AFTER that believer comes to Christ -if the believer will but BELIEVE!

 

John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

1 Cor. 12:3
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

After Salvation when we are endued with power for service, He is released in our heart and lives to do what is necessary to make us witnesses for CHRIST! Salvation and the baptism in the Holy Ghost are two separate and distinct experiences FOR TODAY. They are different to source, time and nature. One must be saved FIRST, THEN that one can experience the mighty baptism in the Holy Ghost.

 

We are told by the Spirit of God to be "FILLED with the Holy Ghost," and filled we must be. You can't fill a bottle or well that is already full! That in itself should tell us believers are not automatically "filled" with the Spirit at salvation but are commanded to be so AFTER they get saved. The term in Ephesians is "be being filled constantly with the Spirit." The Holy Ghost moves on individuals, drawing them to Christ and strengthening them in many ways. But there is something infinitely unique and complete when one experiences the mighty baptism in the HOLY GHOST and is IMMERSED in his power! Jesus is the baptizer in the Holy Ghost just as much as He is Jesus the Saviour of the lost. You cannot divorce God the Father from God the Son; we cannot divorce the person JESUS from His work on the Cross; we cannot divorce the Crucified Christ with the Holy Spirit who came as a result of what this Christ accomplished at Calvary; we cannot divorce the HOLY GHOST from His power and ministries and what He does in the heart and lives of believers! So many try to live this Christian life in the flesh and have found the end results disastrous and even worse in some cases.

 

Friend, you need the baptism in the Holy Ghost today! HE (JESUS) will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with FIRE! He so wants you to ASK Him to do that today. In Jesus name, we declare it over ALL those reading this journal and hungry for God. This writer is not ashamed to tell you that 20 years ago he was gloriously filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gave the utterance. I am just coming into the fulfillment of things prophesied over me that same night 20 years ago in Atlanta, Georgia. I hope and pray the same open door for all those reading this hungry for God and wanting more of Him! He's waiting for you to but ask and BELIEVE! Praise God.
 

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