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Receive
the Holy Spirit
One Good Thing Leads to Another
by
Pastor John Hamel
Live
Table of Contents
Introduction
The
Apostle Paul Enlightens the Ephesians
A
Natural Illustration of This Supernatural Experience
A
Common Hindrance to Receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit
The
Holy Spirit Baptism Evidence of Speaking in Tongues
Some
of the Many Benefits of Praying in Other Tongues
Almighty
God's Two Greatest Gifts
Introduction
"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, 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. And he said
unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And
they said, Unto John's baptism.
"Then said Paul,
John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the
people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that
is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the Name
of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy
Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues
and prophesied.” (Acts 19:1-6)
The Apostle Paul was used by the Holy Spirit to
write the majority of the New Testament.
This should tell us beyond all doubt that Paul knew what he was talking about when it came to the things of God.
When the
Apostle Paul speaks every Believer in Jesus Christ should listen.
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The
Apostle Paul Enlightens the Ephesians
At
one point in his life and Ministry, for approximately two years, the Apostle Paul pastored a local
congregation of Christians in an ancient Greek city called Ephesus.
While pastoring in Ephesus, Paul came in contact with some of
John the Baptist’s former disciples. These Ephesians believed
everything John had preached
about the coming of Jesus the Messiah. However, they had not yet heard the full
Message of the Gospel.
These men did not know Jesus had indeed appeared even as John
announced He would. They had not yet heard the necessity of being Born
Again and making Jesus the Lord of their lives.
They also knew nothing at all about the Baptism with the Holy Spirit
which had come into the
Earth at Pentecost some weeks after Jesus' ascension back to Heaven. (Acts 2:1-5)
The
Apostle Paul first explained to these Ephesians how to make Jesus their
Lord and Savior, leading them into that experience. Each of them accepted
Christ as their Lord and Savior and became members of the Body of Christ.
Having
explained the Good News of Jesus and
leading them into the New Birth, Paul then
revealed there was additional Good News - something subsequent to the New
Birth.
Paul
revealed there was another
experience after the salvation experience called the “Baptism with
the Holy
Spirit.”
This is a special Baptism of Power still available today to all who
are Born Again. Paul led them into this experience as well.
The
Apostle laid his hands on all twelve of these new Ephesian converts,
they were baptized with the Holy Spirit and they all spoke
with tongues and prophesied.
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A
Natural Illustration of This Supernatural Experience
I can imagine Paul explaining the Baptism with the
Holy Spirit experience to these Ephesians something similar to the following.
Once you accept Jesus as your Savior by saying, “Jesus, You’re my choice” you come into a position of right standing with God. (Romans 10:13; 2Corinthians 5:17,21)
At that time you
receive a limited measure of the Holy Spirit’s power.
I compare this Born Again
experience to a
glass being filled to the top with water.
Like the glass filled with water, the Born Again Believer is now filled
with God's power.
However,
when the Born Again Believer receives the subsequent experience called the Baptism with the Holy
Spirit, they are now not only filled with power but they are immersed in
power.
I compare this subsequent experience to taking that same glass filled with
water and dropping it down inside of a pitcher filled with
water.
The glass is now both filled with and immersed, or baptized, in the water.
This is what happens to the Born Again
Believer who receives the subsequent Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
The Believer is now both filled with and immersed, or baptized, in Holy Spirit power.
This is a Baptism of Power reserved only for Born Again Believers in
Jesus Christ.
This
is why Jesus said to His Born Again disciples, "You shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes upon you." (Acts 1:8)
How about you? Have you said, “Jesus, You’re my choice”
in order to be Born Again and to come into union with Creator
God?
Because if you
have, you are now a member of God's forever family and a rightful heir of
all family benefits.
One of those
benefits is the right to pray, “Father, please baptize me with the Holy Spirit and
Power as promised, in
Jesus’ Name.”
Although
Paul laid his hands on the
Ephesian Believers to receive the Holy Spirit, it is not always necessary for individuals to
have hands laid on them to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
On
the Day of Pentecost no less than one hundred and twenty Believers in Jesus
were baptized with the Holy Spirit, speaking in other tongues and no one
laid hands on any of them. (Acts 1:14-15; Acts 2:1-4)
If
you are Born Again you can pray and receive the
Holy Spirit Baptism and power right there where you are without anyone
laying hands on you or praying for you.
The
only thing necessary is to believe you will receive the Holy Spirit when you
ask.
This is an experience that will radically change your entire
life forever.
You will receive power in prayer
that you never knew before.
Wisdom
and understanding of God's Word will become available like never
before.
You
will receive power to operate in the supernatural Gifts
of the Holy Spirit.
You
will receive power to enable you to be His fearless witness in the Earth.
"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 Judea and in Samaria and
unto the uttermost part of the Earth." (Acts 1:8)
Top
A
Common Hindrance to Receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit
Someone
once asked me, "Pastor, what if I receive a counterfeit to the Holy
Spirit?"
I
answered confidently, "You will not receive a counterfeit because Jesus
said, 'If you know how to give good gifts to your own children, how much more
shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?'"
(See Luke 11:5-13.)
If
you are sincere, having turned your back on a lifestyle of sin, refusing to hold unforgiveness in your heart towards anyone
for any reason, and believe, not doubt, your Heavenly Father will see that
you receive exactly what you ask - the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and
power.
However,
in over thirty years of Christian Ministry and leading Born Again Believers
into the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, I have repeatedly discovered the
following hindrance.
Many
times when Believers are having difficulty receiving the Baptism, it will
come into my heart to ask if they read their horoscope.
The
overwhelming majority of the time, the answer has been
"Yes."
I
then explain how seeking any source of power or spiritual guidance from
anything or anyone other than Almighty God, grieves the Holy Spirit and
drives Him away.
I
tell them, "The Bible says in the Book of Leviticus that you are
causing God to turn His face against you. If you repent, He will forgive you
and baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
"And
the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after
wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set My face against that
soul, and will cut him off from among his people. Sanctify yourselves
therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus
20:6-7)
Horoscopes
are rooted in superstition.
Superstition
is rooted in evil spirits, the
occult, sorcery and witchcraft.
Whenever
those who have been involved with horoscope reading or any other
form of evil spirits, the occult, sorcery or false guidance repent, they
always receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and power.
There
are many other forms of sin which could
easily hinder a Believer from being baptized with the Holy Spirit.
However, it has been my personal experience that a Born Again Believer in
Jesus Christ reading their horoscope is one of the greatest hindrances.
If
you have been reading your horoscope and will repent, you, too, will receive
the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and power.
Top
The
Holy Spirit Baptism Evidence of Speaking in Tongues
When you become baptized with the Holy Spirit, you will know it because
you will begin to worship God in an unusual language
that you have never
before spoken - even as the Ephesians did.
That unusual language called
"tongues" is a spiritual prayer language. Some people start out
speaking just a few words, others speak many. Either way, you will receive
if you believe.
"And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy
Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues
and prophesied." (Acts 19:6)
Those unusual words will come right up out of your
belly, or spirit, even as Jesus
prophesied.
"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood
and cried saying, If any man thirst let him come unto Me, and drink. He that
believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow
rivers of living water. But this spake He of the Spirit which they that
believe on Him should receive..." (John 7:37-39)
When Jesus said "out of his belly shall flow rivers of
living water" He was referring to the new supernatural prayer language received by
all who are baptized with the Holy Spirit. (Proverbs 18:4; Isaiah 12:3;
Isaiah 44:3; Joel 2:28; John 4:14; John 16:7; Acts 2:17-18,33,38)
Jesus was referring to what the Apostle Paul calls "speaking in
an unknown tongue."
"For
he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men but unto
God..." (1Corinthians 14:2)
More
commonly today,
this experience is called "praying in other tongues."
Top
Some of the Many Benefits of Praying in Other Tongues
I call praying in other tongues "a hotline to Heaven" because
it is a direct line to Heaven's Throne room.
Praying in other tongues is praying in a supernatural language that Satan cannot
understand, therefore, he cannot interfere with its fulfillment.
Praying
in other tongues is praying in a supernatural
prayer language that only
God can understand.
"For
he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God:
for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the Spirit he speaketh
mysteries."(1Corinthians 14:2,3)
When
a Born Again, Holy Spirit baptized Believer is praying in other tongues,
they are praying what the Apostle Paul referred to as
"mysteries."
Although
they may be mysteries to the Believer, they are not mysteries to God. God
knows exactly what is being prayed out because He is inspiring the praying.
Sometimes
the Holy Spirit even tells the one
doing the praying exactly what
they are praying. (1Corinthians 14:13-15)
By yielding your tongue to this supernatural prayer language,
the Holy Spirit is actually praying through you. When the Holy Spirit prays through you,
those prayers never go unanswered.
When
a Born Again, Holy Spirit baptized Believer prays in other
tongues, they are
always praying according to the perfect will of God. This is entirely
supernatural.
"He
(Jesus) that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Holy
Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will
of God." (Romans 8:27)
The
Apostle Paul also said praying in other tongues is the best way to give
perfect praise to God. (1Corinthians 14:17)
When
prophesying the Holy Spirit Baptism would come to the New Testament
Church, the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah revealed something quite fascinating.
Isaiah
decreed praying
in other tongues would bring supernatural peace, rest and refreshing to the weary,
stressed, confused, fearful and even the grieving. This is something to which
my wife and I, along with millions of
others, can certainly attest.
Sadly, Isaiah also predicted that many
New Testament Believers would reject the supernatural Baptism with the Holy
Spirit.
"For
with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people. 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." (Isaiah 28:11-12)
Yield yourself to this supernatural gift no
matter what kind of negative or unbelieving talk you may have heard from the
uneducated or the misinformed.
The Prophet
Isaiah predicted this kind of unbelief would occur with many Christians.
People criticize the Baptism with the Holy Spirit as
evidenced by speaking with other tongues because they simply do not know what the
Bible teaches. They either lack knowledge or have been wrongly taught.
People who are down on speaking with
other tongues simply are not up on the Bible.
However,
you have now been properly taught.
Once you have asked for
the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, believing you will
receive, give God your tongue
by yielding to your supernatural prayer language.
As was the case with Christ's disciples on the Day of
Pentecost, the Holy Spirit will give the utterance but you will have to do
the speaking and praying.
"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)
If
you will yield to Him in this manner, you will begin to see things happen supernaturally that you had never before considered.
Top
Almighty
God's Two Greatest Gifts
Being Born Again is a very good thing.
The decision to be Born Again is the most important decision you will ever make in
your life.
However, God wants you to know that one good thing always
leads to another. In this case, it leads to the Baptism with the Holy Spirit
for those who believe.
The
New Birth in Jesus Christ is the greatest
gift God has ever given to the world.
"For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John
3:16)
However,
the
Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift God has ever given to His
Born Again children.
"Then
Peter said unto them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of
Jesus Christ ... and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.'"
(Acts 2:38)
The
Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a gift just waiting to be received.
Visit
our tuition-free JHM
Online Bible Training Centre
where you will find many other informative Bible-based teachings on the
Person and Ministries of the Holy Spirit.
It is important
for you to attend a Church
with a Holy Spirit filled Pastor who
truly believes that with God, one good thing always leads to another!
Be Blessed ... John and Barbara Hamel
How
to Be Born Again (Receive Christ as Your Savior)
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