The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

After Jesus’ resurrection in Luke 24, He gave the disciples some final instructions—simple instructions. He told them to stay in the city because He was going to send them what had been promised of the Father. He said he was going to send them power from on high (v.49). The disciples did not question or try to psychoanalyze this; they stayed continually at the temple praising God (v.53). Now, let’s look at Acts.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk^[b] from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together 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 1:12-14; 2:1-4

Besides the obvious, there are two more things I want you to notice about this miracle. First, as with every miracle in the Word, it is preceded by human action. Not just any action, obedient action by faith. Additionally, all of them were filled! Not just the original disciples and not just the men. Later in Acts, gentiles also received this gift. So right from the start, God eradicates the idea that this gift of the Spirit was only for certain people. The steps are simple—are you ready to receive?

Step one. Ask God for the gift. Jesus said in Luke  11:13, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Step two. Praise God for the gift! Yes, it’s that simple. Remember what I’ve been telling you from the start. Look back at Luke 24:53. They continually praised God.

Step three. Get your spirit, soul and body on one accord (Acts 2:1). Basically, your thoughts and actions should line up with what you want and what your spirit needs. For example, if you wanted to lose 20 pounds, would you keep eating fast food and being sedentary? Keep your childlike faith and get yourself on one accord.

Step four. Receive it. As you pray the Psalms or simply thank God for His goodness, begin to sing your own song to Him. Begin to speak from your Spirit—the language is there, you just have to let it flow. Don’t let your natural ears deter you (or the enemy either for that matter!). It may sound and feel strange at first, but remember you are not of this world anyway! The more you hear the sound, the more comfortable you’ll become speaking. The presence of God will become more tangible to you. Do this wherever you feel comfortable. It could be in a worship service, in your kitchen or driving on the interstate (keep your eyes open while driving!). That’s simple enough—now take action.

Pitfalls and Further Instructions

When you are initially baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of tongues, it will probably be a very emotionally moving experience. However, it will not be that way every time you speak in tongues. I pray this way daily, but I’m not crying or getting goose bumps everyday. It’s just like praying in your native language, sometimes you really sense God’s presence and other times you don’t. In fact, simply look at it that way—you’ve become bilingual.

Another practical piece of advice it this, don’t become a spiritual weirdo. We want to make disciples, not scare them off! Unless someone is comfortable with you praying in tongues around them, don’t. Here I’m speaking of situations in which you may be praying for an unbeliever. Inappropriate use of tongues can even stunt the growth of a new believer. If all you ever do is pray in the Spirit or go around talking about what the Spirit told you, you will put others off. This can create an inferiority complex or confuse the thinking of another person. Paul said, “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue (1 Corinthians 14:19).” When you’re alone or in the company of someone in agreement, pray in tongues all you want, but use wisdom. We’ll study this more in another article.

Finally, don’t expect to hear instructions right away or on every detail of your life. Again, this is not complicated. Just live your life as you know to live it according to God’s Word. Remember and meditate on the verses above. He’s our guide; He knows all things. This means if we are headed in the wrong direction, He will point us to the right way—He won’t force us. Or, if we need help with a difficult decision, He’ll give us peace when we make the right choice. The more we follow His lead, the better we’ll become. Soon, you’ll be as I mentioned in a previous article—asking the Holy Spirit to help you find a lost toy!

The steps are simple: ask, praise God, get on one accord and receive! Then leave your praise reports as comments on this page! I’m excited for you already!

Be blessed friends, and have the perfect day everyday!

Psalm 138:8

—Shontta

But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].

—John 16:13 AMP

Jesus explains clearly what the purpose of the Holy Spirit is. He tells us what happens when we allow The Spirit to dwell in us. Let’s look at the three reasons here:

1. He guides us into all truth. This is for the times when you need to make a decision or are trying to get to the bottom of something. Personally, I have used this portion of scripture anytime I am looking for anything. It has been valuable in teaching my young son how to depend on the Holy Spirit to help him. Most recently, he was looking for one of his favorite toys that his father bought for him. We prayed, “Holy Spirit you know all things. Show us where the toy is. We thank you for doing it in Jesus’ name.” At first my son was frustrated because he had looked everywhere, but I told him to be quiet and go on with his day. You see, the Spirit is a gentle guide—we can’t be led while in a frazzle. A couple of days passed and we hadn’t found the toy. I asked my son, “Has the Holy Spirit ever let us down? Don’t we always find what we’re looking for?” He agreed. His faith and belief in the Spirit is strong because I’ve taught him to depend on Him for guidance. Yes, of course, we found the toy and praised God!

1. He relays messages to us from the Father. This is what is called a rhema word—or a word spoken directly from God to the believer by His Holy Spirit. The verse says that He tells whatever He hears from the Father and makes it known to you. So the Spirit is, in effect, a conduit or channel to the Father and we gain access by the Son Jesus Christ. This is why prayer in the Spirit (in other tongues) is mandatory if you want clear messages from the Father. At some point, we need to shut off our natural minds and pray the perfect will of God. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:14, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.” Sometimes we are like my son, so mentally frustrated that we can’t hear what God is trying to say to us by His Spirit. But, when the rhema word comes and tells us exactly how to handle a situation, it always leaves us in awe. Praying in the Spirit and praying the Word—these are the only two ways I know to pray the perfect will of God. Then, those messages from Him become more clear and easier to recognize.

1. He tells us what will happen in the future. Wow! Who knows how many volumes could be written on the testimonies from this portion of the verse? How many scores of believers have averted disaster, become wealthy and broken engagements because the Spirit told them what would happen in the future? I’ve noticed however, individuals be hindered at two extremes. On one hand, the Spirit tells them the future and they become afraid and shrink back. On the other, some become arrogant and trample God’s grace and favor by self righteous acts and narcissism. Nevertheless, don’t be stifled! God always provides provision for the vision. After all, it is His vision for your life (Philippians 1:6). Joshua saw his future and God himself encouraged him to be strong and courageous (Numbers 14; Deuteronomy 1:38; Joshua 1). Forty years prior, Joshua saw what his future held. He could have become arrogant or fearful being privy to this information, but he held fast to the promise of God, got quiet and lived his life. Do you need to know your future? Get full of the Holy Ghost and He’ll tell you.

If you have not had an Acts 2 experience, this is what is necessary for you to receive the gift of tongues. The Holy Spirit is not supposed to lay dormant in you. You must exercise it daily in prayer. Allow Him to guide you as the verse says. This will revolutionize your thinking and change your life! Solomon wrote in the Old Testament, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-7).”I know people all around you are panicking, but if they were saved and full of the Holy Spirit they would be at peace. What about you? Are you afraid? Confused? Don’t know how to handle your situation? Trust in the Words of Christ, get baptized in the Holy Spirit and pray in the Spirit—He will guide you into all the Truth.

Be blessed friends and have the perfect day everyday!

—Shontta

Psalm 138:8