Focus on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Current mood: Expectant!
Category: Life

Focus on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

It's just like the Enemy to take something God has given as a wonderful gift and pervert and confuse it to the point that some people and even whole denominations run from it like the plague. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is one of those wonderful gifts that has been twisted and distorted beyond recognition.

Acts 1:5 ...but you shall be baptized with (in/by) the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

Jesus was clear. There was a "baptism" with the Holy Spirit coming and it was the awaited Promise of the Father. The word Baptism means to overwhelm, immerse, submerge, and dip repeatedly until a change takes effect. It's what you do to a cucumber to transform it into a pickle! We need to be "pickled" in the Holy Spirit until a change takes effect.

Here's the Phrase that Pays:

The Holy Spirit is "Resident" in every believer, but He wants to be the "President" of every believer.

So the question you must answer is this: Do you know the Holy Spirit as "Resident" or "President?"

The word Preside as defined means to exercise authoritative control or power over i.e. president of a corporation or nation. A resident resides, but a president presides.

Understanding the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

1. The What and Why - The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is for the empowerment of the believer externally in order to be living representatives of Jesus in the earth.

Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon (epi - over on/towards) you and you shall be witnesses to Me...

2. The How - This is where people seem to get confused. There has been a fair amount of "weirdness" attached to receiving the Baptism (that's probably a gross understatement!).

There are many external signs that people and religious groups have attached to the baptism. This unfortunate trend has caused many poeple who could benefit from this wonderful gift from God to run in the opposite direction.

The Enemy often uses Extremism to condition believers to react to and repel legitimate gifts and blessings.

How do we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

a. ASK by faith (just like you were born again by grace through faith).
b. RECEIVE by faith (acknowledge it's yours when you ask).
c. GIVE THANKS for it... again by faith.

Luke 11:13 ...how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

It's so simple we miss it. Again, it goes back to the Enemy's strategy to condition us not to receive God's best for our lives.

3. The Result - We literally become Ambassadors/Representatives of Jesus Christ with his full authority to demonstrate and do what He did while on the earth!

2 Cor 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us...

1 John 4:17 Because as He is, so are we in this world.

In our assignment to represent the King of Kings and the Most High God, we need the utmost immersion into His Spirit so that we might accurately and powerfully represent Him in this world!

What an honor! What a priviledge to represent the King! Blessings to you as you seek to go deeper and further in your walk with Jesus. My prayer for you is that you will not just have more "Information", but that you will have greater "revelation" of His Truth...for you shall know the Truth and the Truth will make you free.

Expectant,
Pastor J