home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
CD ROM Paradise Collection 4
/
CD ROM Paradise Collection 4 1995 Nov.iso
/
edu
/
pray21.zip
/
20.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-07-08
|
8KB
|
169 lines
PART IV: THE HOLY SPIRIT AND PRAYER
CHAPTER 20
HOW TO RECEIVE THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Introduction
Be assured that it is God's will for us to be filled with
his Spirit:
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that
is a father, will he give him a stone? or if
he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a
serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he
offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil
[fallen human beings], know how to give good
gifts unto your children: how much more shall
your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
them that ask him? (Luke 11:11-13).
In this passage, a stone represents something worthless. If
we ask God for more of his Spirit, he will not give us a
worthless substitute or experience.
To find out what the symbols of serpents and scorpions
represent, read Luke 10, the chapter preceding the above passage.
Serpents and scorpions represent demons. God will not allow
demons to enter a believer when we ask for more of the Holy
Spirit. We do not have to be afraid to ask for more of God's
Spirit.
God yearns to have a deeper relationship with us by filling
us with his Spirit.
How can we be baptized in the Holy Spirit? Here are some
biblical steps:
The Gift of the Holy Spirit
Has Already Been Given
Realize that the Holy Spirit was given in a unique way to
believers on the Day of Pentecost. We do not have to "tarry" or
wait like believers did on the Day of Pentecost. In fact, one
can be baptized in the Holy Spirit immediately after accepting
Christ as Savior.
The New Birth
Is the Only Prerequisite
We are clean through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. No one can be cleaner. If we could clean up ourselves
or sanctify ourselves, why would we need the Holy Spirit? Since
the Holy Spirit is a gift, we cannot earn his indwelling presence
by right conduct, proper speech or good works:
... ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost. (Acts 2:38).
And they of the circumcision which believed
were astonished, as many as came with Peter,
because that on the Gentiles also was poured
out the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts
10:45).
This only would I learn of you, Received ye
the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the
hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having
begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect
by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many
things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He
therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit,
and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it
by the works of the law, or by the hearing of
faith? (Galatians 3:2-5).
In fact, the Holy Spirit indwells every believer. The word
BAPTISM means "to be immersed." Hence, the baptism of the Holy
Spirit means to be immersed in the Holy Spirit, that is,
completely filled. It also means that the Holy Spirit has more
of us under his control.
We Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
by Faith
Every gift from God is received by faith. We must believe
that what God has promised is true. We must accept it as done.
It is scriptural for someone to lay hands on us, but not
necessary--it will help some to believe. In the New Testament,
some had been baptized in water before receiving the baptism of
the Holy Spirit and some had not--baptism in water may help some
to release their faith.
(NOTE: The Greek word PNEUMA is sometimes translated
"Spirit" and sometimes "Ghost" in the King James Version.
"Ghost" is an old English word for "spirit").
Expect to Speak in Tongues
As the Holy Spirit Gives the Ability
The New Testament states that believers spoke in tongues
when they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in most
instances. It is implied in all instances, for Paul gives this
teaching:
I would like every one of you to speak in
tongues.... (1 Corinthians 14:5, New
International Version).
Since speaking in tongues edifies the individual speaking in
tongues, God would be partial if he did not give this gift to
everyone:
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue
edifieth himself.... (1 Corinthians 14:4).
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on
your most holy faith, praying in the Holy
Ghost, (Jude 1:20)
We do not need to be fearful that we will say something evil
or wrong when we speak in another language (tongues) by the Holy
Spirit's enablement:
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no
man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth
Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that
Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (1
Corinthians 12:3).
Smith Wigglesworth relates,
The Holy Ghost settled all of my arguments for me. I
had been arguing and discussing the subject with them
every day that I had the Holy Ghost just as much as
they did. In a moments's time [when he received the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
tongues] I saw that I had never really been filled with
the Holy Ghost until them. I had had some wonderful
experiences as a minister as God had blessed me and
anointed me to preach. We had seen many saved and even
healed. But I had never really been filled with the
Holy Ghost until then. When you get an experience
inside the Word of God, you have an experience outside
the realm of argument. Before I had only an argument,
but now I have an experience with God. [Kenneth E.
Hagin, PREVAILING PRAYER TO PEACE (Tulsa: Kenneth Hagin
Ministries, 1983), pp. 41-42].
Let us now move to the next step.
Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
There comes a time when all there is left to do is to do.
Now, Ask for what he has already given--the baptism of the Holy
Spirit. Expect to be filled with the Holy Spirit and then
receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Please write me after you receive the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit.
Let us now move to the next subject, "God's Part and Our
Part in Prayer."
END