"How can I be Baptised with the Holy Spirit?"

"How can I be Baptised with the Holy Spirit?"

Let us begin by noting the Hebrew word behind spirit is ruach, and it means "air in motion." It is the same word for "breath." It also means "life." By resemblance to breath and air in motion, it means "spirit." Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit when He says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" Here, the Greek word is pneuma, which again means "a current of air," "breath," or a "breeze, " and again by analogy, "a spirit." So both the Hebrew and the Greek words are literally talking about the "breath of life". Back in Genesis 2:6-7 we read: "And the Lord G-d formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" Some translations say "a living soul." It’s from the breath of G-d that we actually get our physical life. The same thing happens to us personally when we are re-born of the Holy Spirit. In John 20:21-23 we see Jesus giving His disciples the promise of the Holy Spirit, just as G-d breathed on Adam and gave him the breath of life, Jesus breathed on His disciples: "'Peace to you! As the Father sent me, I also send you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'".

I personally simply asked the Lord to fill me with the Holy Spirit soon after I was born again and I received what I asked for that very night. When I do not know specifically what or how to pray - I pray in tongues. In Romans 8:26 we read: "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."

Let us look carefully at the first scriptural account of the infilling of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-4 we read: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together (not divided) in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:1-4).

The Holy Bible specifically mentions speaking in tongues thirty-five times. G-d does not waste His time telling us things He gives that are not important. Speaking in tongues is the most talked about phenomena in Christianity. Many believe that the Lord gave us the Baptism of the Holy Ghost again during an Azusa Street Revival.

On April 9, 1906, at a prayer meeting in a modest home on Bonnie Brae Street in Los Angeles, a few men and women spoke in tongues. They had been meeting to pray for "an outpouring" of the Holy Spirit. The tongues speech convinced them that they had "broken through." News of the event spread rapidly among blacks, Latinos and whites, the prosperous and the poor, immigrants and natives. Those who yearned for revival, as well as the curious, thronged the house. The need for space prompted a move to an abandoned Methodist church on Azusa Street. For the next two years, waves of religious enthusiasm waxed and waned at Azusa Street, attracting visitors from across the nation and missionaries from around the globe. The faithful announced that this was a reenactment of the New Testament Day of Pentecost: "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them ability" (Acts 2:4). G-d was restoring New Testament experiences of the Holy Spirit -- or, as devotees of the movement put it, restoring the apostolic faith.

At Azusa Street, one could see and hear the "utterance gifts" listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. Seekers spent hours praying to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, an experience they expected would be attested by speaking in tongues. People interpreted tongues and prophesied -- phenomena with which few Christians had any direct experience. The sick came for healing. Why were such things happening on an out-of-the-way city street? The faithful had a simple answer: the end of the world loomed, and G-d was sending the Holy Spirit to equip his chosen people for one last burst of evangelism before it was too late. The baptism with the Holy Spirit was an end-times "enduement with power for service" that went hand in hand with personal holiness. The visible gifts of the Holy Spirit testified to the Spirit’s immediate presence in and among believers. A century later, Pentecostal denominations boast over 10 million members in the U.S. If one adds those in other churches who embrace Pentecostal-like beliefs and practices, the number more than doubles. Estimates in 2005 of the worldwide number of Pentecostals suggest that there are over 580 million adherents, making Pentecostals the second largest group of Christians in the world, trailing only Roman Catholics. Even those who challenge these numbers agree that by any measure Pentecostal Christianity has experienced dramatic growth. Directly and indirectly, the Azusa Street revival influenced this expansion.

The entire purpose of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is/was to draw us out of the various denominations and back to G-d - sadly many who have baptised in the Holy Spirit are now following men into other denominations and not Jesus Chist. (John 10:27). Jesus warns that many beLIEvers who have now received Holy Spirit power like Judas Iscariot did in the early church will not be heaven - In Matthew 7:21-23 we read: "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?" And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness."

There was such a visible manifestation of power of the infilling of the Holy Spirit evident in the laying on of hands in the early church, that Simon the sorcerer recognized the reality of a power behind it. And in Acts 8:18 we read: ""And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost." There is therefore a great need for wisdom to be exercised before anyone gives anyone the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Hands should only be laid upon those persons "in whom is the Spirit." Numbers 27:18 - Remeber that the Apostle Paul exhorted us to "lay hands suddenly on no man." 1 Timothy 5:22 How many Spirit filled pastors today are like Simon the sorcerer who use the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit to draw men unto them and not unto G-d? G-d knows what is going on and He warns us in Revelations "And I heard another voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her (Babylon), my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues." It is not time to "play denominational church". If Simon the sorcerer were alive today he would not have to pay to receive the Holy Spirit - all he would have to do is stop at virtually any denominational "spirit-filled church" and they would be happy to lay hands on Simon so he could receive the Holy Spirit! Therefore Dear One, it is very important that you only follow Jesus and if you have any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit - that you only use them to draw men back to G-d and not to you or your group. Always remember that freely you have received - so freely you must give. Use the Holy Spirit tongues to daily edify yourself!

The Apostle Paul writes, "He who speaks in tongues edifies himself...I would like every one of you to speak in tongues" (1 Corinthians 14:4,5). The word "edify" means to "build up" or "charge up"-- much like charging up a battery. We all need a spiritual charge. All of us at times feel spiritually drained. One of G-d's ways to charge your spirit is through speaking in tongues which is the most intelligent, perfect language in the universe. It is G-d's language. Tongues is the heavenly language. It is what is spoken in heaven; the only difference is that the people in heaven understand what they are saying. Here on earth Paul says, "For anyone who speaks in tongues does not speak to men but to G-d. Indeed, no one understand him; he utters mysteries with his spirit" Therefore any tonque spoken in public should be interpreted. Jesus says that those who believe in Him will "speak in new tongues" (Mark 16:17). The word "new" means appearing for the first time. We are born again from above, therefore we should speak the language from above--that language is called "new tongues." Those who do not speak in tongues ridicule those that do and say those that do are only "speaking gibberish". In Acts 2:13 we see that there were also devout Jews who mocked what was G-d's gift of tongues and said those that had received tongues were drunk.

In John 14:16, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would indwell believers and that the indwelling would be permanent. It is important to distinguish the indwelling Spirit of promise from the filling of the Spirit. The permanent indwelling of the Spirit of promise is not for a select few believers, but for all believers. There are a number of references in Scripture that show this to be true. First, the promise of the Holy Spirit is a gift given to all believers in Jesus without exception, and no conditions are placed upon this gift except faith in Christ (John 7:37-39). Second, the promise of the Holy Spirit is given at the moment of salvation (Ephesians 1:13). Galatians 3:2 emphasizes this same truth, saying that the sealing and indwelling of the Spirit took place at the time of believing. Third, the Holy Spirit indwells believers permanently. The Holy Spirit is given to believers as a down payment, or verification of their future glorification in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 4:30).

This promise is in contrast to the filling of the Holy Spirit referred to in Ephesians 5:18. We should be so completely yielded to the Holy Spirit that He can possess us fully and, in that sense, fill us. Romans 8:9 and Ephesians 1:13-14 states that Holy Spirit dwells within every believer, but He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), and His activity within us can be quenched (1 Thessalonians 5:19). When we allow this to happen, we can not experience the fullness of the Spirit's working and His power in and through us. The promise is obviously diffferent than the inflilling of the Holy Spirit. The promise of the Holy Spirit is given to all believers - the apostles already had Jesus breathe the Holy Spirit on them in John 20:22 -but, they were told later to tarry in Jerusalem Acts 2:4 until they were endued with power from on high and then and only then were they all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

We read in Acts 8:14-15: ""Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of G-d, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit" (Verse 17).

We read in Acts 19, " Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Spirit? He said, "Have ye received ...?" And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost ... And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them.and they spake with tongues, and prophesied."
Ephesians 5:18 commands that we be filled with the Holy Spirit; however, it is not praying for the filling of the Holy Spirit that accomplishes the filling. Only time and our daily walk with Him and our obedience to G-d's voice that allows the Holy Spirit freedom to to totally fill us. Initially all we might see is tonques - it takes time for a person to be completely filled with the Holy Spirit and for other to see all the fruit. In Galatians 5:22-23 we read: "But the fruit (John 15:8) of the (Holy) Spirit is love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8), joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Any fruit takes a long time to develop. Jesus had to trim the fruit tree and fertilize it to recieve more fruit at a later date. It takes fertilizer (blesings) and the pruning (problems) of even healthy branches to make the tree produce good fruit. But, the main thing for us to remember that is Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. The branches draw their life from the vine, not vice versa. Just as the branch draws its life from the vine, so too must we draw our life directly from Jesus. Jesus will release His life directly into us through the Holy Spirit in the exact same way that the vine will release the life of the tree into its attached branches.

When Paul commanded that we "be filled with the Spirit," the verb that he used was in the present tense. This can be translated and interpreted as a continuous present tense wherein we are to "be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit." To the woman at the well in Samaria, Jesus explained that, "But whosoever drinketh of the (living) water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14). There is nothing static about a spring of water. It is ever-active. The dynamic of Christ's life operative in the behaviour of the Christian is to be continuously allowed to function. How does a person who is drunk stay drunk? He must continue to partake of the alcohol. Likewise, the Christian must continue to receive the daily infilling of the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul gives a definite answer to the significance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (I Cor. 12:13). Jesus and the Holy Spirit are obviously not divided - why are all the denominational churches? If you want to be one with Jesus and the Holy Spirit - be filled with the Holy Spirit and come out of Babylon!

The first person to be called out was Abram in Genesis 12:1-3 we read why: "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed".

In Philippians Chapter 3 we read: "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship G-d in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of G-d by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of G-d in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, G-d (not man) shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many [beLIEvers] walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose G-d is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.



Let me conclude with the ending of the 150th Psalm. It says, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!" Amen!