One of things I see as I look around to churches today and to believers, is a lack of power. I see saved people, but settling for just that. Saved. No ministry aspirations to help others and to walk the same walk as Jesus. Perhaps, harsh, but true. Dead churches. Saved but dead. No power. No gifts flowing. Sick, depressed, broke. The same as the world. Why are some churches FLOWING MIGHTILY with the power of God?
Why are they seeing signs and wonders and miracles and healings and deliverances? I mean, if you are Christian shouldn't these things be happening automatically, because you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior?? No. That is the simple answer and the Biblical answer. Oh, you may receive dribbles here and there because of His grace and Mercy. Absolutely. But to REALLY operate the way Jesus operated in His earthly ministry, we need to
have one very important piece of the puzzle.
The Holy Spirit!!!!
"Well, Kim! I already received the Holy Spirit when I got born again! What in the world are you talking about!!"
Glad you asked! \0/ So now let's bring the BIBLE into this, so that "religion" and "religious syncretism" does not taint the pure, unadulterated Word of the living God. The BIBLE. This is our plumbline. Let's go.... When you were born again, it was the RESURRECTED CHRIST, the IN-BREATHED SPIRIT. "He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit." - John 20: 22. In the Greek this is translated as "Receive holy breath." It is a scriptural fact that at that moment, the apostles did actually "receive the Holy Spirit." In this first encounter with the resurrected Christ, the apostles passed from Old Testament salvation to New Testament salvation. Up until that time the believers of the OT had looked forward, by faith. Those who enter into the NT salvation, look back to a single historical event: the death and resurrection of Christ. Their salvation is complete. So Jesus imparted to the apostles a new kind of life. An eternal life. The new birth. Yet even after this wonderful experience, Jesus made it plain that there was more. Their experience with the Holy Spirit was still incomplete. Now let's stop right here for a second, because this is where Christians get lost. "I already have the Holy Spirit! What are you talking about? You are just making this up and I don't agree with you!" Yes, I have heard those objections from Christians. But let's follow the money trail, so to speak, and let Jesus Himself explain... Surely you would not argue with the Words of Jesus or the words in the Bible?? Would you? (Well, for some Christians, that is debatable!) In His final words to them before he ascended, he COMMANDED them not to go out and preach right away, but to go back to Jerusalem and WAIT until they were.... and here is where I lose so many CHristians... BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.... and thus endued with POWER from on high for effective witness and service. "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Luke 24:49 "For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Acts 1:5 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me." Acts 1:8 This promise of being baptized in the Holy Spirit was fulfilled on Pentecost Sunday. "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:4 (This was the part that churches cut out with scissors...) It was on Resurrection Sunday that the apostles received the in-breathed Spirit from Christ and thus entered into salvation and the new birth. It was not until Pentecost Sunday, seven weeks later, that they were baptized in, or FILLED, with the Holy Spirit. This proves that the new birth, or salvation, is a DISTINCT AND SEPARATE experience from the BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, although each event is described as "receiving the Holy Spirit." You just have to understand the difference. From Pentecost Sunday forward, the term "receive the Holy Spirit" is applied only to the outpoured second experience... THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Are you still with me? Hey, don't shoot me.. I am just the messenger! I didn't write this, God did!! You can argue with Him if you dare to... Okay, let's move on because WAIT! There is more!! 1. The people of Samaria 2. The disciples at Ephesus 3. Cornelius and his household. 4. The Apostle Paul. The people of Samaria received salvation through the ministry of Philip and they received the Holy Spirit through the ministry of Peter and John. They were saved, but had not received the Holy Spirit, in the sense of Pentecost onward... Read Acts 8:14-17. At Ephesus, Paul met some "Disciples" there and asked the people if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed. Read Acts 19:2 and 19:5-6. In the house of Cornelius, they received BOTH salvation and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This can happen together, but for the most part, these are distinctly separate experiences. Read Acts 10: 34-48. The Apostle Paul. He wrote 2/3 of the New Testament, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. To discuss Paul and all of his teachings on this, would be a whole other journey. But just know this from the Bible. Paul had a secret to his success in his amazing ministry. He was above and beyond in his ministry walk. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and this was his success. He commanded that we not forbid speaking in tongues because he said that he spoke in tongues more than anyone. Go Paul!! Read about this in 1 Corinthians. Folks, here is the bottom line. We cannot operate in the gifts of the Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12 without the POWER of the Holy Spirit. It's the POWER that we need and we can only get that from the Holy Spirit. Without Him, we are powerless. Do you want to serve people? Do you want to minister and help others in a supernatural way? Not by our power, but through the Holy Spirit? Believe me... you cannot do this effectively without the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. When I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in 1995, all I did was surrender and pray. Like a bolt of lightning, He filled me up from my toes to my head, with an electric current that rolled up my body from my feet. His Spirit pushed out all sickness I was battling at the time through my shoulders and He filled my mouth with "rivers of living water." John 7:38. From that day forward, I was able to operate in the gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12, and pray for people with boldness wherever I went. My life was literally turned upside down and inside out. I could not imagine going back to being a carnal Christian, sitting on a pew, listening to nice stories from the pastor. I was a country club Christian. Once you are on this side, you can never go back to status quo. There are 275 million people all over the world who have ASKED FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT and received Him. All of us PRAY IN THE SPIRIT, as the Apostle Paul did, and pray those perfect prayers that we need when we just don't know how to pray, and might I add, incognito from the devil's ears. "Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition." Ephesians 6:18. There are SO SO many more scriptures, but that is for another day... So... how do you receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit? Simple. Just ask!! It took me 9 months back in 1995 to understand the scriptures and decide to receive. I was jaded by demoninational teachings and a little slow to the race. I had to search the scriptures for myself and I did! It doesn't have to take you that long. You can receive today. Right now. And I cannot guarantee the same kind of experience I had, but I can guarantee that the Lord will grant your request, if you sincerely ask Him in faith... First are you born again? "Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says, '...him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out' (John 6:37). So I know You won’t cast me out, but You will take me in, and I thank You for it. You said in Your Word, '…If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved' (Rom. 10:9 & 13).
I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe Jesus died for my sins and was raised from the dead so I can be in right-standing with God. I am calling upon His Name, the Name of Jesus, so I know, Father, that You save me now.
Your Word says, '…with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation' (Rom. 10:10). I do believe with my heart, and I confess Jesus now as my Lord. Therefore, I am saved! Thank You, Father."
Next...
"Heavenly Father, at this moment I come to You. I thank You that Jesus saved me. I pray that the Holy Spirit might come upon me. Lord Jesus, baptize me now in the Holy Spirit. I receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit right now by faith in Your Word. May the anointing, the glory, and the power of God come upon me and into my life right now. May I be empowered for service from this day forward. Thank You, Father, that You have heard my prayer. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for baptizing me in Your Holy Spirit. Amen." May your prayer language start to flow as the Spirit gives utterance...
I pray for your journey forward, with the POWER of the Holy Spirit flowing inside of you, ready to minister to the people in your own circle, as well as outside. They are waiting for someone to help them who follows the way the Lord ministered on this earth...setting the captives free by the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Until next time...
Kimberly, Minister/Teacher @ God's Healing Power Radio Ministry.
GodshealingPower.org
Celebrating 30 years in Ministry! 1993-2023+
