A Shaking and an Awakening (part 7)

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit

2.12.2023

Review

This is lesson 7 in a series on dealing with life during this transition time just prior to the coming of Jesus.

January 1 – The world seems to be in preparation for Jesus’ return!

God is seeking to prepare us for the days ahead.

“End times is not happening to me – I am happening to the end times!” – Mario Marillo – Vessels of Fire and Glory.

January 8 – His covenant with us will provide for us and give us direction as we navigate the waters of change.

January 15 and 22 – I addressed the greatest challenge we face today and into our future – deception and delusion.

January 15 – Deception is truth mixed with a good bit of false information.

January 22 – Delusion is knowing what is right but being coerced to do the opposite.

January 29 – Repentance opens the door for God to do something fresh in your life!

February 5 – Let the Holy Spirit help you!

In a strange way today, we seem surrounded by lies, distortions, deceptions, and twisted truths that only present a partial picture of whatever we are dealing with.

We have an internal antidote for today. He is the Spirit of Truth.

Today – The Baptism with the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit works in us two ways: We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit when we are born again. And there is another work of the Holy Spirit called the Baptism with the Spirit after you are born again.

The first century Church had to deal with political upheaval with Roman dictators.

Socially, they experienced a deep moral plunge in their culture. Idol worship in pagan religious temples consisted of rampant sexual immorality.The Roman Emperor Nero had a teenage boy castrated and the boy became his lover.

In spite of the pressure of persecution and the pressure of living in a godless culture, God moved in a tremendous way to energize believers with His power.

The power of the Holy Spirit available to believers provided the counterbalance they needed to confront the lies, the persecution, and the pressures of everyday living.

We are at the same place today!

And we need the power of God found in the Baptism with the Holy Spirit to counteract the coming challenges…

Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV)

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

They already had the indwelling, now they need the Baptism of the Spirit – One produces character, the other produces power!

Notice Acts 1:8 (NKJV)

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

3 reasons to talk about the Baptism with the Holy Spirit today:

1. If you have received this experience, to encourage you to walk in the light of it.

2. If you have not received this experience, to give you understanding of it so you too can receive.

3. So you can know how to minister the Baptism with the Holy Spirit to others.

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit came to the church on the Day of Pentecost, and has been available to us ever since.

I received this experience in 1976, and have never been the same.

 

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit has been alive throughout the church age.

A fresh move of the Holy Spirit began in America in the early 1900’s in California, and the Pentecostal denominations came out of that.

Then in the 50’s another move of the Holy Spirit began, the Charismatic movement, and denominational people began to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Towards the end of that movement, I received this wonderful experience with the Holy Spirit.

It has subsided in America since 2000, but I believe God wants to stir it up again!

There are many today who do not believe in the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

My mother received this experience in 1975, and the Baptists did not like it.

We live in the Bible Belt, and the denominational churches have mostly refused to accept the Baptism with the Holy Spirit as a valid New Testament experience.

They are Cessationists, who believe that all of the spiritual gift manifestations stopped with the apostolic age, the first century.

There is simply no scriptural validation for this belief!

They use 1 Corinthians 13 to say that spiritual gifts are no longer necessary.

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 (NKJV)

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

The Cessationists say that this verse is referring to the Bible when it says – when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away with.

But this verse is not talking about the Bible; it is talking about when we get to heaven!

Cessationists say that the spiritual gifts, healing, and even the Baptism with the Holy Spirit were only for the early church, in order to get the church started.

But, there is simply no reference in scripture to that belief! Make sure what you hear from me or anyone else can be verified with the Word of God!

Jesus said that the traditions of men nullify the Word of God!

Mark 7:13 (NKJV)

Making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Mark 7:13 (NET)

13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this.”

Acts 2:38-39 (NKJV)

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

 

Without the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, life can be compared to:

 

Plowing with a mule, compared to plowing with a tractor

 

Using a handsaw instead of a skillsaw.

 

Cutting grass with a riding mower instead of a push mower.

 

Washing clothes with a scrub board instead of a washing machine.

 

Spiritual Life is much more difficult without it!

The Holy Spirit indwelling you is illustrated by Jesus with the metaphor of a well.

John 4:13-14 (NKJV)

Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

A well quenches your spiritual thirst. This indwelling of the Holy Spirit is for your personal spiritual life. It changes you.

 

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is illustrated by Jesus with the metaphor of a river.

John 7:37-39 (NKJV)

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. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 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 well of water is for your personal spiritual life.

The rivers of living water makes you a blessing to others!

 

*Jesus is the Baptiser with the Holy Spirit

*Matthew 3:11 (NLT)

I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

*Luke 3:16 (NLT)

John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

*God’s gift to the sinner is salvation.

*Jesus’ gift to the believer is the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

*There are four clear, distinct references to the Baptism with the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts:

*Acts 2:1-4 (NLT) – Pentecost. People in Jerusalem receive.

On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

*Acts 8:14-17 (NLT) – People in Samaria receive.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.

*Acts 10:44-46 (NLT) – Gentiles receive in Cornelius’ house.

Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. 45 The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

*Acts 19:1-6 (NLT) – People in Ephesus receive.

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. 2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.” 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.” 5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.

This amazing experience is still available to every believer today!

To be a candidate for this experience, you must be born again.

You do not have to be perfect.

You do not have to be free from all of your negative habits. One of the things the Holy Spirit will do is move you away from fleshly distraction and give you a heart for Jesus, His Word, and for doing His will.

You only need to be born again.

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit immerses you in the Holy Spirit.

When you are immersed into something, it changes the atmosphere of your life.

When you are immersed in something, it changes your focus.

Example – Bottle of Water

Action Points:

*How to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

1. You must be a born again Christian. You can receive alone or with someone ministering to you.

Luke 11:11-13 (NKJV)

If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

2. In faith, pray and ask the Father to baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

Father, thank you for saving me from my sins and making me a child of God. As your child, I ask you to baptize me with the Holy Spirit, from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, fill me with the Holy Spirit now. I believe that I will speak with other tongues as the Holy Spirit enables me, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

3. Have an open heart, and allow Jesus to minister to you.

4. Lift your hands to the Lord in thanksgiving, and open your mouth and begin to speak in the language the Holy Spirit gives you.