Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit?

Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit? (Approx. 10 minutes)

You are probably thinking, “I received the Holy Spirit when I was born again”.  And yes, you did!  We all receive the Holy Spirit when we first believe are saved unto eternal life.  

After Jesus had been crucified and had risen from the dead, He came to the disciples and breathed upon them.  They were lost in fear, powerless, and hiding behind closed doors. Unsure of their future.  Where was their Savior?  They had no assurance of eternal life and no peace.  

Joh 20:21  So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." Joh 20:22  And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit”. 

This was their born again experience; just like when God breathed into the first Adam and he became a living being, now the last Adam, Jesus Christ, became a life-giving spirit.(1Cor. 15:45) and breathes life into us. Even after this incredible encounter, which confirmed that He was their Savior, He gave them additional instructions.  They still needed the power of the Holy Spirit.  Afterall, He did tell them it was to their advantage that He go away so the Holy Spirit would come. Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 

Jesus gives further instructions after He breathes on them and they receive the Holy Spirit. 

Luk 24:49 NIV I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." 

Earlier in the gospels, Jesus is speaking to the woman at the well. He spoke to her about the water of His Spirit that is eternal life.

Jesus explains to the woman she can drink of this water and receive eternal life and never need to thirst for it again. Drinking this water is receiving the Holy Spirit, who witnesses to your spirit that you are saved unto eternal life. 

Joh 4:13  Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; (speaking of the natural well water)

Joh 4:14  but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."    

Our salvation experience occurs when we drink this living water.  It is the well of Salvation. The day I drank from this well I knew I had found what I had been looking for my entire life.  Peace with God and fellowship with Him. It was an amazing experience.  I didn’t have to look anywhere else. No drugs, partying, or career and accomplishments were able to satisfy my thirst.  Now, I no longer was thirsty for this Truth. I had drunk from His well of eternal life never to thirst for this again. 

But God was leading me to even deeper experience.  The baptism of the Holy Spirit. There is more! I needed to be clothed with power to live my new life. 

There's a difference between the Spirit being in you (our salvation experience) and the Spirit coming upon you (baptism in the Holy Spirit) and flowing out from you.  

In John 7:37-39, Jesus cried out with a loud voice and invited anyone to come and drink, and now this living water would flow from them.  The scripture defines this living water as the Spirit who was to be given on the day of Pentecost (John 7:39). 

Joh 7:37  On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 

Joh 7:38  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 

Joh 7:39  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 

The salvation experience is the eternal living waters that come to dwell within you and continuously satisfy you, confirming you are saved.  The immersion or baptism of the Holy Spirit is the releasing of the Living Waters to flow out from you to others.  He causes the rivers of living water to flow.  What comes from above to dwell within you must also be able to be released and flow out as well.

Faith involves taking what God has promised boldly, hungerly, and zealously! 

Collect what He is offering you…. It’s a gift.  Be zealous, burning with desire for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The KJV uses the word “covet”! It’s the one thing we are encouraged to covet. 

1Co 12:31  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. 

You will need this gift from your Father in Heaven to complete your journey as an overcomer.  Now that you are born again as a child of your Father in Heaven, He wants to give you what He promised—the  baptism of the Holy Spirit.  It is your inheritance, your birthright  that you can access now. No longer do we need to “tarry”.  He is saying receive and open this gift now!

There are nine gifts readily available to you as needed for any situation, any circumstance, and to help you to draw closer to Him.

This is not a teaching about each of the gifts, but the list as written in 1 Cor. 12:8-10. You will see how important it is to invite the Holy Spirit to baptized you. 

Wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues and interpretation of the tongues. 

Acts 2:  The Day of Pentecost

On that day in the upper room, a hundred-twenty disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Young and old, male and female.  Even Mary, who had experienced the Holy Spirit overshadowing her, was there to receive this baptism.  We all need this!

Everybody in that upper room received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Every one of them spoke in tongues. We receive the same baptism—the original baptism—not something less but the same fullness.  Receive it all! (Read Acts chapters 1-2 in your bible to see how the baptism in the Holy Spirit affected them.)

Many equate the baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues.  Although tongues are extremely important and immediately available for everyone, it is not the main goal.  The purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to be completely immersed in Him that you may navigate this life to the glory of God.  The baptism imparts to us many gifts enabling us to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.  The baptism allows us to hear and see into the realm of the Spirit.   It is experiential. It takes us beyond the realm of this three dimensional world. 

Pray right now.  

Ask Jesus to baptize you in His Holy Spirit.  You have received Him as your Savior, your sins are forgiven.  You have been washed in the blood of the Lamb of God, cleansed of all your sins, so you qualify to receive the Promised Gift of the Holy Spirit and power.

You don’t have to wait for a church service.  Ask now! Be ready to receive. Jesus does not need to be persuaded to love you. He loves you enough to baptize you with Holy Spirit—right now!  

Father, I ask You to immerse me in Your Holy Spirit.  Fill me to overflowing. Give me Your new wine to drink. Inebriate me with Your love. Fill me with Your fire!  Fill me with the power to be Your witness and glorify Your name.    

Show me Your glory!

Thank you, Jesus, for wrapping me in Your love and passion. With great thirst, I drink Your new wine.  My voice is Yours. My tongue is Yours.  I give you the sound of my heart now.

By faith, begin to let a sound come across your tongue.  Do not attempt to understand it or even listen to it. It is for Him. He will give the understanding as needed, when needed.  The hunger you have to worship Him perfectly is fulfilled with a language you don’t understand with your natural mind.  Focus your full attention on Him, His beauty, His love. Lose Yourself in His love.  

Thank you, Lord, for every spiritual gift that is available to flow from me.  You have equipped me to worship you with my whole being—body, soul, and spirit.  I am Yours and You are mine. I am overwhelmed.  You empower me to glorify Your name.