Holy Spirit Baptism

There is a difference in 1) Receiving the Holy Spirit at salvation, 2) Being baptized in the Holy Spirit, and 3) Speaking in tongues [i.e., languages] as a gift of the Holy Spirit.

1) In order for a person to “get saved”, i.e., receive Christ, the Holy Spirit in involved in that.  The Holy Spirit [by the way, Holy Spirit is a He, not an It] causes a person to know they are lost in their sins and need salvation through believing in Jesus.  The Holy Spirit does NOT speak of Himself, He speaks of Christ.  At this point, the person accepts Christ because of the work of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit does not indwell the person.  This person has some more work to do in his/her life to prepare for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  This work is called sanctification and repentance.  Sanctification can be an ongoing process taking a lifetime.  The Holy Spirit can’t live in a person that is not fully submitted to God.

2) When a person is “ready” [this is determined by the desire of the person and by the Holy Spirit Himself], then that person can be “baptized in the Holy Spirit”.  At that time, the Holy Spirit indwells the person.  This “coming upon” the person is evidenced by the person speaking in a new or different tongue [i.e., language].  This speaking is directed by the Holy Spirit and not by the person.  It is not something they can be taught.  It is totally the work of God and happens to the person who is yielded to Jesus.  In most passages in the Bible describing this event, it says something like this: “And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke with tongues.”  So, we take it that receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is evidenced by speaking in tongues as the Holy gives the words.

3) After a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit, he can receive the “Gifts of the Spirit”.  One of these gifts is “Speaking in tongues”.  It is different from the initial evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. This gift must be exercised in an orderly fashion.  The words that are spoken must be interpreted in order for the hearers of the “message in tongues” to understand what the Spirit is saying to the church members present.  Paul gives instructions for this in 1 Corinthians 14.

After having said all of that, I know that there are people who still believe that it is not necessary for a person to speak in tongues in order to evidence the Holy Spirit in their life.  The Bible also teaches that there are “fruits of the Holy Spirit”, i.e., love, joy, peace, etc.  If a person has truly being filled with the Spirit, then his/her life will show it by the increasing growth of these “fruits”.  If Jesus is truly in charge of your life, it will be demonstrated in the way that you live your life. I think that the “INITIAL” evidence of the indwelling Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues, but the real evidence is the demonstration of the power of God in the person through their “fruit”.  I don’t know about you, but whatever Jesus has for me, I surely want it!

Let's Please God

Sometimes, I wonder how much my life pleases God.  I know that I am saved, but I wonder if there is something that I may be overlooking.  Maybe that’s why the Scriptures say that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  When I look back into my Christian life and see some of the things that I used to do while claiming to be a Christian, I am glad that God didn’t call me home then!

Recently, I was thinking about 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (this entire passage is given below).  It talks about Israel’s trip through the desert and how they traveled with Christ.  Then you read this in verse 5: “Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them;  their bodies were scattered over the desert.”  (In fact, only two of the men from that generation was allowed to enter the Promised Land). And then the next verse makes the connection with you and me: “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.”

In our current world and time, you and I often set our hearts on “evil things”.  We may not see them as evil, but anything that causes God to be displeased IS evil.  We too often forget that God is holy and we are not.  He commands us to be holy.  We are to seek after Him so that our natures are changed.  When we live our life for our own reasons instead of for His purposes, we are not following Him.  We must keep in mind who we are and who He is.  If we want to please Him, we must have a Holy Spirit guided mindset.  This mindset is contrary to our natural mindset.  When we are being guided by our natural mindset, the Bible says that such people cannot please God.  I want to please Him.  Don’t you?  Please reflect on this as it is so important.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 from the NIV:

1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.

6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did — and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did — and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did — and were killed by the destroying angel.

11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

God is like that too. He loves us, but He wants us to be like Him, holy. He is after Godly offspring, and He has the will and power to get them!

Whenever we get saved, some of us have the mistaken belief that we can life our lives the way that we want to. Sure, we say we’re saved, and we pray, give money, etc., but we still haven’t given God what he really wants most. That is our total life. This includes: our career, our hopes, dreams, aspirations, plans, money, time, possessions, etc. In short everything about us.

When God said, “That shall have no other gods before me”, He wasn’t only talking about ones we bow down before, but also the ones that we serve with our life force. Jesus came that “we might know God”. And I believe that the knowing is one of intimate relationship with God. He wants us to go all the way with Him.

How can we know God if we spend most of our time on ourselves and our needs, etc.? God expects us to spend more time with Him alone so that we can know Him more and more. When was the last time that you got alone with God for more that a few minutes? I’ve heard stories of real God seekers who daily spend 5, 6, 10 hours seeking Him. I must admit that so far, the most time that I have spent with Him is one or two hours a day. That’s hardly enough to get by for that day, much less get to really Know Him.

Since I have begin on this path, God has ruined my life. I am unfit for the world and barely fit for God. Boy, what a bad situation to be in. I’ve got to go one way or the other. I think that I’ll go toward God more. Since I am already ruined to this world, I might as well go all the way with God!

Whenever God gets a hold on your life, He is intent on ruining your life. He wants to posses His people with His Holy Spirit. In order for that to happen, you will have to die to yourself. All of you must be surrendered to God. Every inch of you, with nothing held back. He wants to go into all the hidden rooms of your life. His power will cleanse the temple that He dwells in. Holiness and sin cannot live in the same place. Also, included in sin is the desires of the flesh. So let Him kill you and cleanse you. Only this way can you really live.

So, in June 2007, we set off for New York. Initially, I didn’t know where I would go, but I had decided to buy a Honda Gold Wing motorcycle and pull a trailer with the motorcycle on it. I found the motorcycle on E bay and bought it for $1,500. It was located near Rochester New York. We headed off to see what it would be like to live my faith and depend on God for direction and provisions.

After reaching NY and resting for a few days, we went to see Niagara Falls. We then decided that we would travel to Maine and go by Boston to see a friend and do some ministry with him while we were there. We headed in that direction, but immediately God turned us around and sent us toward Yellowstone in Montana via Canada, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.

While in Yellowstone, we met a young women who was living near the Park and needed ministry. We wanted to stay and work in the park for a few months, but it didn’t work out. Later, we were glad that God had decided to send us on our way. We headed toward Washington, Utah, California, Colorado, and back across the US toward Gettysburg and then into the Washington DC area in northern Virginia. We had lived there for 25 years, prior to moving back to Florida in 2000. From Virginia we came back home to Pensacola, Florida.

All through the trip, we met people that helped us, and people who we helped. There were people that needed God and people who asked for us to pray for them. I spoke at one church where they gave us a tremendous welcome and $190. They didn’t know us from Adam, but the Spirit of God connected us together. My own home church couldn’t help us financially, but they gave us groceries and love. A place that I had done business with while living in Virginia gave us some diesel and kerosene.

Once, the bus broke down while we were exiting the Interstate in Indiana. (Actually the bus broke down many times.) On this particular breakdown, I couldn’t get it started, but a trucker took a rope and pulled us off the ramp to a nearby hotel which was next to a gas station. Someone came over from the gas station and gave us a piece of paper with a telephone number on it. Since I had prayed about the problem and since I didn’t know a single person in that town, I decided that the handwriting must be from God. I called the number, explained our situation, and told the man that I didn’t have any money. He send some guys over and they got the bus started. He told me to drive it to his shop and they would repair it completely. I drove to the shop, met the owner, and he insisted on repairing the bus for me. He said that it was a $1,500 job, but that he would do it for free because he loved God and wanted to help. I was totally amazed at the generosity of this man and the goodness of God. I know that God moved on his heart.

Another time we were going toward Denver from Utah. I let my wife chose the route and trusted to God for the outcome. We were going up a steep hill just past Vale CO. The bus had slowed down to about 15 MPH, and we were creeping up. I didn’t realize that the temperature was getting so low and the altitude was getting so high. The tunnel at the top was 10,000 feet high. Before we got anywhere near the top the bus stopped in the road. Within 5 minutes a highway patrolman stopped behind us. He asked if he could call a towing company for us. I told him that I couldn’t afford a towing company. He said that I was in danger and couldn’t stay in that situation. He then called the tunnel and asked if they could send a truck to pull us up to the top. The man came and gave me a little diesel, but the bus still wouldn’t start because of the temperature and altitude. So, he towed us to the top and through the tunnel. He pulled us to a pull over just outside the tunnel.

After trying for the final time to start the bus without success, I decided that perhaps I could let the bus coast down the mountain and bump start it. WRONG! The bus wouldn’t bump start and we were going down the hill at about 70 MPH with no engine, power steering, and we had air brakes. Every time I put my foot on the brake to slow down, the air pressure would go down. Since the engine wasn’t running, the pressure would eventually drop to a point where I wouldn’t have any brakes at all. Of course, I was praying during this whole thing. As we came around a curve, I could see an exit down into a little town called Georgetown. I only had a few seconds to decide whether to exit or go straight. At the last second, I saw that if I took the exit, I wouldn’t be able to stop in time and would rear-end the car ahead of me that was taking the exit. I proceeded to go straight and immediately saw a wide spot ahead and pushing with all my strength,we stopped the bus there. Blue smoke was coming out from the brakes, but we were well out of traffic, but still on the Interstate. We had to stay there in the bus overnight listening to the 18 wheelers coming down that mountain and praying they wouldn’t hit us in the dark. Some people gave me a little money to buy some diesel, but the bus still wouldn’t start. The temperature dropped that night and there was ice on a lake nearby. The next day, a young man stopped and towed me on down the mountain. I was able to get the bus started, and took a route through the mountain that was all downhill to Denver. The bus quit running as soon as I pulled into the Denver Walmart parking lot. We were safe and able to do ministry right there in the parking lot!

I’ve got a hundred more stories like this. Maybe, I’ll tell more sometime. But the biggest thing that I learned from all of this and more is this: God is completely reliable and can be fully trusted. If we put our trust in Him, we will never be ashamed!

Thank you Jesus for who you are and especially for being there for us and in us! I love you Lord.

YouTube – Leonard Ravenhill Interview FULL.

Sifted Saints by David Wilkerson | World Challenge.

What do we want to do when we truly come to the Lord?  We want to tell the whole world, especially our families.  But they may not be ready to listen.  The apostle Paul said that we could win an unsaved mate by our righteous actions, not our words.  But just what did he mean?

Have you ever been nagged?  And nagged?  And nagged?  Did you like it?  Or, if you are like most people, did you envision ways to murder the nagger?  Your spouse doesn’t like it either.  One of my favorite quotes is:

“Preach the Gospel at all times, when necessary use words.” St. Francis of Assisi

What you do gives much more credibility to your Christian walk than what you say.  When I was an unsaved teen I once went to see a James Bond movie on a Sunday.  There in the same theater was an elder (deacon) from my mother’s church.  Just what do you think his witness was for me after that?  Right, zip!  By the same token, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, temperance, and meekness (the fruit of the Spirit) will do much more toward winning our lost loved ones than any amount of self-righteous nagging, pouting, manipulating, yelling, or rebellion ever could.

If your mate/loved one wants you to engage in an activity you know to be contrary to Scripture, don’t do it.  Better to obey God than man.  But you must tell your loved one carefully with love why you cannot participate.  Be slow to anger.  Yep, Jesus got that one right.

Remember, Christianity isn’t a set of rules that we must get absolutely right. It’s a relationship.  As we get closer to God through daily prayer and Bible reading, we will show more of God’s love to our loved ones.  Showing that love will draw them in.

Season their lives daily with the salt of your changed life.  But, remember to be a light in darkness for them, too.

“It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”  Ancient Chinese Proverb

Many people seek to find the “purpose for life“.  They look for all kinds of things to give them purpose.  They may find some satisfaction, but not really.  They have decided to give up the search because they can’t find what they are looking for.  They are not sure what the purpose is, but they are sure what the purpose is not. It can’t be a life lived to its fullest for Jesus.  There is something inside of them that resists the idea of trading their life for Jesus or anything else having to do with His ideas.  How very sad that they have been deceived.

People who don’t know their purpose in life should really ask the only One who knows it.  However, in order to get an answer from Him, they must be willing to let go of their pre-conceived notions of the answer.  If you are one of these people, I want to ask you, “Have you ever really asked Jesus what His purpose for your life is”?  Maybe you don’t think that He has anything to do with it.  If that is true, how can you be so sure?  You’ve searched everywhere else and haven’t found it.  Why don’t you sincerely ask Jesus for help in this search?  You might find some help in reading what He has already said.  Start reading the Bible, and you might find your answer.  Be prepared to let go of some of your ideas about what He will say to you.  I’ll give you an example:  Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Have you been exchanging your life for things?  Things don’t bring lasting satisfaction, happiness, or peace.  Things don’t last very long.  Our heart is always unsatisfied.  Things can never satisfy your inward heart’s longings.  You must start your life over.  You have already wasted enough of it in working for and exchanging your life blood for things that don’t satisfy.  You can start over again and find the peace and satisfaction you desire.  You will only find it in the Person who knows why you were born.

All your life, you have been living for yourself.  Tell me, are you satisfied with that?  Why not try living the rest of your life for the only Person who knows why you were born?  You might be surprised at what you discover on the journey with Him as your Guide.  Why not start that journey with Jesus today?  All you have to do is ask Him to come into your life and obey what He tells you.  If we can assist you in any way, contact us.  We are here to help you.