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In this blog, I provide training and instruction on Who the Holy Spirit is, why we need Him, and how to receive Him, as well as His holy fire.  You will learn about the new wine, the gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, the biblical basis for the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the role of the triune Godhead in drawing people to Himself, and the supernatural power available for all disciples.  I also discuss the importance of being led by the Spirit, correctly discerning the things of the spirit, and testing the spirits.

As the Scripture says:

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? "Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luk 11:9-13)

The Person of the Holy Spirit	Baptized with the Holy Spirit	Holy Fire Baptism
Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?	Supernatural Power for All Disciples	Discerning the Things of the Spirit
The New Wine	Testing the Spirits of False Prophets	The Holy Trinity
The Role of the Trinity in Drawing People to God	The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit	The Holy Spirit Speaks
The Spirit without Limit	The Laying on of Hands	International Impact of Pentecost
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit	False Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit	The River of God
The Witness of the Spirit	Judging Revelations, Visions, and Prophecies	Led by the Spirit - Part I
Led by the Spirit - Part II	The Baptism of Christ	The Gift of Speaking in Tongues
Anointed by the Holy Spirit	Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?	The Bubbling Forth of the Spirit's new Wine
Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism	Raising the Dead	How to Heal the Sick - The Hunters
Gifts of the Spirit Seminar -- Freddy Clark

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. "Receiving the Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist. 

Author's Note: You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism

Dear saints,

Today I would like to share with you ten synonymous, divine expressions used in Scripture for the baptism with the Holy Spirit:

Baptized with the Holy Spirit

The first expression is “baptized with the Holy Spirit”, which we sometimes call the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This expression is analogous to water baptism, which is literally immersion in water, except this is immersion with the Spirit. Here are the passages where this appears, including all four gospels and Acts: 

Jesus said: "For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (Act 1:5)

Peter stated: "Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 11:16)

John the Baptist said: "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes One who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Mat 3:11)

"I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mar 1:8)

John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Luk 3:16)

"And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'" (Joh 1:33).

For more on this, see Baptized with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit Comes on You

The second expression is “the Holy Spirit comes on you,” or ”the Spirit comes down from heaven” and remains on you, or ”the Spirit of God descending,” or "the Spirit of God alighting on" a person. These expressions indicate how the immersion with the Spirit happens, whereby the Holy Spirit comes down from heaven and comes upon you. Here are the passages where these are used:

Jesus said: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Act 1:8)

"...because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Act 8:16)

"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message." (Act 10:44)

Peter explained: "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning." (Act 11:15)

"When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied." (Act 19:6)

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him." (Mat 3:16; cf. Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22)

Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. And I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." (Joh 1:32-33).

Filled with the Holy Spirit

The third expression is “filled with the Holy Spirit”. Here are the passages where these are used:

"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Act 2:4)

"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Act 4:31)

Note that the saints in Jerusalem had already been filled with the Holy Spirit prior to this occasion (Ac 2:4), but after they prayed, they were filled once again (ac 4:31). Therefore, the same expression -- filled with the Spirit --that is used for the initial experience of being baptized with the Holy Spirit is also used for subsequent fillings.

"Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 9:17)

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit..." (Eph 5:18).

In this last passage, the original language indicates a continual being filled, not just a one-time event. Literally it means, "be being filled with the Spirit," indicating something that we are always doing.

Receive the Holy Spirit

The fourth expression is “receive the Holy Spirit”. Here are the passages where these are used:

"And with that He [Jesus] breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (Joh 20:22).

The Greek word for receive is lambano, meaning "to take, seize, accept, receive" etc. This is not a passive verb, in the sense that you passively receive mail in your mailbox or receive an email in your Inbox, but an active one in which you have to take, seize, or accept in order to receive. When you receive the Holy Spirit, you need to actively do so by taking Him and accepting Him into your heart.

Jesus said: "'Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive." (Joh 7:38-39a)

"When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit..." (Act 8:15).

"Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit..." (Act 8:17; cf. 2:33 and 38).

"and [Simon] said, 'Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 8:19)

In that last example, it is understood that Simon saw something powerful happen when they received the Holy Spirit, or he -- a former sorcerer, known as "the Great Power" -- would not have offered money in order to have this ability to have people receive the Holy Spirit upon the laying on of his hands. In other words, when the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit, it was not a silent, uneventful moment, in which it was impossible to know if anything even happened. Rather there was powerful evidence, as we see in all the other instances where people spoke in tongues and prophesied when they received the Holy Spirit.

"And [Paul] asked them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.'" (Act 19:2)

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

The fifth expression is “the gift of God”, ”the gift of the Holy Spirit”, or ”the heavenly gift”. As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we are all familiar with the free gift of salvation, which is eternal life. But salvation is just the first gift. Salvation is a package deal, with a subsequent gift that God has for us, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Here are the passages where these are used:

"Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 2:38)

Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!" (Act 8:20).

"The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles." (Act 10:45)

"So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God's way?" (Act 11:17).

"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit..." (Heb 6:4).

Made Partakers of the Holy Spirit

The sixth expression is “made partakers of the Holy Spirit”. The apostle wrote to the Hebrews:

"For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit..." (Heb 6:4, NASB77).

The original Greek word for partakers is metochos, meaning "a participant; a sharer; by implication an associate: - fellow, partaker, partner." This means that those who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit have been made companions, fellows, associates, or partners with the Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Father Gives the Holy Spirit

The seventh expression is the ”Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit”, or "He gives the Spirit". Jesus said:

"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!" (Luk 11:13).

Note that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to His children who ask Him. So ask Him to give you the Holy Spirit, and then receive Him. The Father gives the Spirit through Jesus, His Son. John the Baptist said of Him: 

"For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.” (Joh 3:34).  

Jesus said: "If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees Him nor knows him. But you know him, for He lives with you and will be in you." (Joh 14:15-17)

"Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." (Joh 7:39b)

For more on this, please see The Spirit Without Limit.

The Promise of My Father

The eighth expression is ”the promise of My Father” or "the promised Holy Spirit". The Father has promised the Holy Spirit to those who are called, who have repented and believed in His Son Jesus Christ. But as I mentioned in the last section, you must ask Him. Here are the passages where these are used:

"And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." (Luk 24:49, NASB95).

A promise is a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen. Therefore, the Father has made declaration to assure us that He will give us the Holy Spirit.

"Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear." (Act 2:33)

"...and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." (Act 2:38b-39)

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

The ninth expression is “pour out my Spirit”, which we often refer to as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Here are the passages where these are used:

"'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." (Act 2:17; cf., Joel 2:28)

"Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy." (Act 2:18; cf., Joel 2:29)

"The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles." (Act 10:45).

For more on this, see Outpouring of the Spirit.

The Anointing or Being Anointed

The tenth expression is the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit. Here are the passages where this is used: 

After the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at His water baptism and remained upon Him, and following His wilderness temptation, Jesus went into the synagogue. When they handed Him the scroll with the Scripture reading for that day, He opened it to the place where it said the following, which he read aloud: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free..." (Luk 4:18)

This clearly shows that once the Holy Spirit came down and alighted upon Jesus, the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him, because He had anointed Him. The anointing is something that goes back all the way to the days of Moses, when God commanded him to anoint his brother Aaron the high priest with oil. Not only were priests anointed with oil, but kings were as well. The flask was opened and the oil was poured on the man's head, after which the man was said to be anointed. The process of pouring the oil over the man was called an anointing or the anointing. Likewise, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, He anoints you. Importantly, Christ means Anointed One, and He anoints His followers with Holy Spirit.

The apostle John wrote: "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth."(1Jn 2:20).

John continued: "As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." (1Jn 2:27)

The anointing John referred to is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is another one of those synonymous expressions that means the same as being baptized with the Holy Spirit. You must receive the anointing, according to John. It is real, it remains in you, and it teaches you about all things. For example, once you have been filled with the Holy Spirit, you will understand the Word more clearly and accurately, because the anointing teaches you. 

For more on this, see Anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Closing Words

In this study, we have learned that the following ten expressions that were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit in Scripture all refer to the same awesome experience: “baptized with the Holy Spirit”, "the Holy Spirit comes on you”, “filled with the Holy Spirit”, “receive the Holy Spirit”, “the gift of God”/”the gift of the Holy Spirit”/”the heavenly gift”, “made partakers of the Holy Spirit”, the ”Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit”, ”the promise of My Father”, and the "anointing of the Holy Spirit".

I am not aware of anything else in Scripture having so many different, synonymous expressions to describe it. The fact that there are so many -- ten in all -- indicates how critically important it is that we receive the Holy Spirit.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Wherever note, Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation, used by permission.  "Receiving the Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Main Directory for this blog at Home, such as Holy Fire Baptism, Anointed by the Spirit, The Gift of Speaking in Tongues, Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?, The New Wine, Led by the Spirit, Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?, Fruit in Every Season, The Holy Spirit Speaks, The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit, The Spirit Without Limit, and Supernatural Power for All Disciples. I also recommend Restored Truth.  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Bubbling Forth of the Spirit's New Wine

Today I'd like to share a brief devotional meditation with you about the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

New Wine in New Wineskins
Jesus said, “Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." (Mat 9:17)

Why is it that men pour new wine into new wineskins, which are more flexible and stretchy, rather than into old wineskins, which are more rigid and brittle? This is because the fermentation of wine produces CO2 gas that is 40 times the volume of grape juice. When that is kept in a closed container, as is necessary for fermentation to occur, it must be able to expand as more and more carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced. As mentioned, old wineskins are brittle and do not expand like new ones do, so putting new wine into old wineskins would result in both the wine and wineskin being lost. But putting new wine into new wineskins results in both the wine and wineskin being preserved.

Since the fermentation of wine produces CO2 gas that is 40 times the volume of grape juice, just imagine how much gas is produced by one liter of wine. Liquids are typically measured in liters in a lab and gases are measured in cubic centimeters (cm³). Therefore if the volume of CO2 gas produced by one liter of grape juice during fermentation is 40 times that volume, then it would produce 40 x 1 liter or 40 liters. 1 liter = 1,000 cm³, so 40 liters = 40,000 cm³. That's an enormous volume of gas compared to the relatively much smaller volume of liquid!

Fermentation Gas a Type of the Holy Spirit
The gas produced during fermentation of new wine is a type or illustration of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, Who is infinitely greater in power than the believer who is not Spirit-filled. There is a bubbling up of the Spirit within the Spirit-filled believer that cannot be contained by religious forms, customs, structures, and organizations. Even the human body cannot contain it, which is why it comes out of the believer in various manifestations of power like speaking in tongues, prophesying, gifts of healing, miracles, joyful laughter, dancing, lifting up the hands in worship, etc. Groups (such as denominations or religious institutions) that are bound by their religious forms, customs, and structures cannot control this, so they don’t know what to do with it. That's why when they encounter Spirit-filled people in their midst, it can result in a breakage like a broken wineskin, whereby the Spirit-filled person runs out, much like new wine runs out of a broken wineskin.

What is fermentation? It is the process of sugars being broken down by enzymes of microorganisms in the absence of oxygen. It’s an anaerobic process, which is why it can happen inside a sealed wineskin. Those enzymes break down the glucose in the juice, and that is what produces the gas. Those gas bubbles are a byproduct of the sugars being broken down by the enzymes. The gas bubbles just appear seemingly out of nowhere from within the fermenting liquid. The gas bubbles up from within the wine. That reminds me of the living water that Jesus said would bubble up from within the Spirit-filled believer.

A Gushing Fountain
Jesus said, “’Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (Joh 7:38-39).

On another occasion, Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (Joh 4:13-14).

The expression “welling up” in that verse is from the Greek word “hallomai”, meaning to jump; figuratively to gush: - leap, spring up. Therefore, Jesus was saying that the living water He gives us, which is the Holy Spirit, will become a spring of water gushing, bubbling up, or springing forth like a fountain. This water of the Spirit bubbles up to eternal life. That reminds me of one of the Hebrew words for "prophet" in the Bible.

One of the three Hebrew words for "prophet" is nabi, which literally means "to bubble up" like a fountain. It describes one who is stirred up in spirit. Likewise, the Hebrew word most often translated "prophesy" is naba, which literally means to "bubble up" and to "flow forth."

Be Being Filled
Paul wrote to the Ephesian Church, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." (Eph 5:18). The Greek word for "be filled" here is pleroo, which means to be filled to the full or to be filled up. But the verb is in the present continuous tense, meaning that it is an ongoing daily process that we submit to, not a one-time thing. You could say, "Continually be being filled" with the Spirit.

Closing Words

I hope that this brief article has helped to show how every believer who has received the gift of the Holy Spirit has this ever-expanding, ever-bubbling fountain within, which gushes forth to eternal life. If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, and you have never received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, then let me encourage you to ask the Heavenly Father for it today, since He promised to give this gift to His children (Lk 11:13; 24:49; Ac 1:4; 2:38; 10:45). Open up your heart today as much as you are able to, and receive this wonderful, free gift. And if you have already received, then continue asking for more each day, and be continuously filled with the Spirit as the Scripture says to be (Eph 5:18). The resulting, ever-expanding power that will be in you will be greater than anything you could bring to the table on your own.

Attributes: Images used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only. Fountain in Geneva, Switzerland by Matt Jones under free license through Unsplash. Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.  

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Main Directory for this blog at Home, such as Baptized with the Spirit, The New Wine, The Spirit Without Limit, The River of God, The Gift of Speaking in Tongues, Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?, Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism. and Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?, You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Baptized with the Spirit

When a person gives his life to Jesus Christ, he repents of his sin, asks the Lord to forgive him, and invites Jesus to come and live inside his heart. At that point, the Lord takes up residence within him by His Spirit. But God has more to give. He has a gift for the believer. That’s what I would like to explore together in Scripture today.

Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit
First of all, John the Baptist spoke about this. He said, "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Mat 3:11; cf. Lk 3:16; Ac 11:15-16). John the Baptist also testified, "I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.'" (Joh 1:33)  John made a clear distinction here between water baptism and the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

In Mark’s gospel, the two baptisms are even more clearly laid out as separate and distinct from each other. There we read of John the Baptist: “And he was preaching, and saying, ‘After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’" (Mar 1:7-8)

Some time after John made this statement, he baptized Jesus in water. Immediately afterward, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove upon Him in bodily form. Later “John testified saying, ‘I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, “He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.”'” (Joh 1:32-33). So the Father told John that Jesus is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.

Differences between the two baptisms
The word to baptize (Gr., baptizo) means to dip or immerse, to make whelmed, fully wet. It’s important to understand that it is not a sprinkling, but rather a dunking.

We should note that there are some similarities and differences between water baptism and Spirit baptism. Both baptisms are for believers, not for non-believers. They are both an immersion -- an action that makes the believer fully wet or whelmed. Yet the Holy Spirit baptism is distinctly different. Unlike water baptism, where the believer is immersed in water, now the believer is fully immersed or whelmed by the Holy Spirit. And this does not necessarily happen at the time of water baptism, as we will see.

In the case of the disciples, Jesus commanded them to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. After he had risen from the dead and was about to ascend back up to heaven, He said to them, "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." (Luk 24:49) Here he said that He would send what He called the promise of the Father. So whatever He was referring to was a definite promise from the Father, which Jesus Himself would send. You can be assured that this is not something God has forgotten about or that He takes lightly. God keeps His promises.

And Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for this promise, until they were clothed with power from on high. When you receive the promised baptism with the Holy Spirit, you will be clothed with power. The word for power here is dunamis, which means a miraculous, mighty, and wonderful power from God. It’s where we get our English word for dynamite, which produces violent explosions. This power was so important that Jesus did not want the disciples to go anywhere without this. They needed to wait for it. And you also need to wait for the Lord to send the promise, so that you can be empowered for service.

Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit
At the time that Jesus was baptized in water, He was filled with the Holy Spirit. Here is the account of what happened: “Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.’" (Luk 3:21-22)

Immediately afterward, the Scripture tells us that “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness.” (Luk 4:1). This was the first time that Jesus was referred to as being full of the Holy Spirit. So it’s reasonable to say that from that point on, Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. In fact, He testified of this Himself in the synagogue. He read the passage in Isaiah that says, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free…” (Lk 4:18)

As Jesus said, the reason the Spirit of the Lord was on Him was to empower Him to preach the gospel to the poor, proclaim freedom for the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind and to set the oppressed free. And we know from his life and ministry that He did just that.

Power is the distinct evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit
There is distinct evidence when you are baptized with the Holy Spirit. You don’t need to wonder if it has happened to you, because the evidence is always power in your life. After all, this is what Jesus promised when He said, “You will be clothed with power from on high.” (Lk 24:49b)

“Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ (Act 1:4-5) So while they had been baptized in water already, Jesus said they would soon be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And he explicitly said that this would be evidenced by power. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Act 1:8). The power they would receive would enable them to be His witnesses throughout the world.

When they were baptized on Pentecost, here is what happened. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” (Act 2:4). They had power to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

But it wasn’t a single occurrence. They were filled again later. “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Act 4:31). When this happened, the evidence was once again power to speak the Word of God with boldness.

Then there were the people in Cornelius’ household. He was a righteous and God-fearing Gentile man, who had invited his close relatives and friends to his home to hear Peter preach the gospel. “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.” (Act 10:44-46).  As Peter recalled the incident, He said, "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 11:15-16).  The gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on these people in the same way as it had been poured out on the disciples on the day of Pentecost. And the evidence was the same. They all spoke in tongues. And Peter said the Lord had referred to this experience as being baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Another example is when Paul first encountered the disciples in Ephesus. “He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said to him, ‘No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ And they said, ‘Into John's baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were in all about twelve men.” (Act 19:2-7)

When Paul first found the Ephesian disciples, they had only been baptized into John’s baptism for repentance. He discovered this by asking them if they received the Holy Spirit when they believed. Amazingly they did not even know there was a Holy Spirit. So after Paul told them they needed to be baptized into Jesus, they did so. And then when he laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them. The power of God was evidenced there just as it was elsewhere. They began speaking in tongues and prophesying.

The same power was displayed when Peter and John were in Samaria. “Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, "Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." (Act 8:17-19) Just as had happened elsewhere whenever disciples had received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, so also there was evidence when the Samaritan disciples received this gift. That’s why Simon the sorcerer offered to pay money for this power. He was a magician who had supposedly given his life to Jesus. But when he saw and heard the powerful evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit that was given by the laying on of the disciples hands, he wanted this power also.

Scripture records that Peter rebuked him for this. But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! "You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. "Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. "For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity." (Act 8:20-23). The gift of God cannot be bought with money, as Simon tried to do.

It is possible to be born again without being baptized in the Spirit
In this same passage, aside from the laying on of hands, and the evidence of supernatural power, I want to draw special attention to one other very important thing about the Samaritans who received the gift of the Holy Spirit. That is the fact that they had already believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and been baptized by Philip, before Peter and John arrived. Luke recorded, “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.” (Act 8:12). It was after they believed and were baptized in water that Peter and John prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Act 8:14-16).

Many people claim that when we believe in Jesus, and are baptized in water, that the Holy Spirit falls on us at that time. We cannot put God in a box. While this does happen in some instances where a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit when they are baptized in water or even beforehand, it is rather exceptional. The point here is that the Samaritan believers had “simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus,” and “the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them.”

This is the same thing that happened in Ephesus, as I’ve already explained earlier. The Ephesians also received the Holy Spirit as a distinct and separate event that occurred subsequent to being baptized into Jesus Christ (Act 19:2-7). It proves that receiving the Word of God and being baptized into Christ does not necessarily mean you’ve received the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

In fact, you might even be a preacher or teacher who has been instructed in the way of the Lord. You may be speaking and teaching fervently about the Lord. You may be mighty in the Scriptures without ever having received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. That was true of Apollos. “Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” (Act 18:24-26). My friend, please don’t assume you’ve been baptized in the Holy Spirit simply because you have become a disciple and been baptized into Christ, or because you are an effective Bible teacher. You will know when you have been baptized in the Spirit, because the evidence of supernatural power will accompany it.

Purpose of the Power
So what’s the purpose of this power that we receive, when we are baptized in the Spirit? It’s so that we can be witnesses for the Lord Jesus. Jesus told His disciples “that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” (Luk 24:47-48). It was immediately after this that He told them to stay in the city until they were first clothed with power. So the power is needed to be His witness.

Jesus went on to say, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Act 1:8)

Being a witness for Jesus is not just a matter of talk but of power. Notice the way the believers prayed in the first church. They prayed, "’And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.’ And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Act 4:29-31). As I mentioned earlier, Jesus said the same thing of Himself, after He was full of the Spirit, that He was anointed to preach, heal, and bring deliverance to those bound by Satan (Lk 4:18-19). He preached with authority and a demonstration of power. “And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, ‘What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.’" (Luk 4:36)

“Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.” (Mat 4:23-24). Before you can be an effective witness for Jesus, you need to receive power from on high.

The outpouring is ongoing and for all mankind
On the day of Pentecost, Peter explained what was happening, when the disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit. He said that this was a fulfillment of what Joel had prophesied that the Lord would pour out His Spirit. The Lord said that prophesying, dreams, visions, signs and wonders would accompany this outpouring (Ac 2:14-17). And He said the outpouring would be for all mankind, men, women, and children alike, not just a select few. It’s for every disciple of Christ.

At the home of Cornelius’, when the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit, Peter explained again what was happening. As he retold the event to the elders in Jerusalem, he said, "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'” (Act 11:15-16). So Peter made a direct connection between what happened there and what Jesus meant when He said, “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Peter also said that what happened at Cornelius’ home was just like what happened on Pentecost. This proves that the outpouring would be ongoing, rather than a one-time event.

This ongoing outpouring for all mankind is in stark contrast to what happened under the Old Covenant. At that time certain people were filled with the Holy Spirit. But it was rather isolated and did not happen to everyone. For example, Elizabeth responded by crying out with a loud voice, when she was filled with the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:42). Likewise, her husband, Zechariah responded by prophesying, when he was filled with the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:67). And their son, John the Baptist responded by leaping for joy, when he was filled with the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:41).

Everyone responds when filled with the Holy Spirit
Just as Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John responded under the Old Covenant, when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, everyone who receives this power responds. Peter responded with great boldness when filled with the Holy Spirit (Ac 4:8). Stephen responded by speaking fearlessly of his ability to see the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Ac 7:55). Paul responded by regaining his vision. Immediately it was as if scales fell from his eyes when he was filled the Holy Spirit (Ac 9:17-18).

Subsequent fillings with the Holy Spirit
There were subsequent fillings after the initial baptism with the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul taught the Ephesians, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph 5:18). He contrasted this filling with being drunk with wine. Just as a person can repeatedly be drunk with wine, we are to repeatedly be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is not for the purpose of dissipation or wasting our lives, but so that we can build one another up by sing to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that we sing to one another, as we make melody in our heart to the Lord (Eph 5:19).

The Greek word in Ephesians 5:18 is a continual action “to be”. Literally it means continually “be being filled” with the Spirit. This is consistent with what happened with the early disciples. When they prayed together after they had been filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they were filled again. These were the same disciples who were previously baptized in the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Ac 2:4; Ac 4:23-24,31). Likewise, Paul was subsequently filled with the Holy Spirit and displayed power as well as boldness (Ac 13:9-11).

Given through the laying on of hands
One of the elementary teachings of the faith that the writer of Hebrews mentioned is the laying on of hands (Heb 6:1, 2). As I’ve mentioned previously, the Holy Spirit is given through the laying on of hands. We saw this when the Holy Spirit was given in Samaria (Ac 8:15-18) and Ephesus. “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.” (Act 19:6). In the same way, healing and miracles happen when believers lay hands on the sick, just as Jesus and the first disciples did. (Mark 1:16-18).  However, just as healing and miracles can happen without the laying on of hands, so can the baptism of the Holy Spirit happen without it.  In fact, sometimes people are baptized with the Holy Spirit when there is no one else present with them.

It's a gift
If you are a disciple of Christ, you shouldn't feel that God will give this gift to others and withhold it from you. A gift is free, and that means you cannot earn it. Jesus taught us to ask for it. He said, "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luk 11:9-13). Jesus explicitly said that the heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. So go ahead and ask. Then expect to receive!

Putting it All Together
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, and He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given through the laying on of hands. The distinct evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is power. The power we receive from the Holy Spirit is to be witnesses.

It is possible to be born again without being baptized in the Spirit. Under the Old Covenant, certain people were filled with the Holy Spirit, but it was rather rare and isolated and not common or widespread.

On Pentecost Day, Peter explained that this was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy where the Lord promised to pour out His Spirit on all mankind in the last days. Peter also explained that the experience at Cornelius’ home was a fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to baptize in the Holy Spirit.

There are certainly subsequent fillings with the Holy Spirit after receiving the initial baptism. It's meant to be a continuous lifestyle, rather than a single event in your life.

So if you are a disciple of Christ, who has never been baptized with the Holy Spirit, I encourage you to ask the Lord for this gift. He promises to give this good gift to those who ask.

And if you have received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, but it's been a long time since then, and you need a refill, I encourage you to pray and ask the Lord to fill you once again. Take the time to wait upon the Lord to send you a fresh outpouring of His Spirit.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation, used by permission.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Main Directory for this blog at Home, such as Holy Fire Baptism, Anointed by the Spirit, The Gift of Speaking in Tongues, Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?, The New Wine, Led by the Spirit, Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?, Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism, The Holy Spirit Speaks, The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit, and Supernatural Power for All Disciples. I also recommend Restored Truth.  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  "Receiving the Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Supernatural Power for All Disciples

Peter and John Healing the Lame Man

Have you ever noticed that some Scriptures seem to indicate that in the early church only the apostles functioned in the supernatural? And then there are other Scriptures that show that all believers can do so. Let’s examine those in order to determine whether they are limited to the apostles or for all.

First we will look at the ones that show how God’s supernatural power seemed to be limited. Then we will look at the ones that show us how all believers can function this way.  Let me encourage you to put aside all your existing ideas, as well as anything you have been taught, and just let the Word speak for itself.

Power limited to the apostles
Jesus told the apostles gathered with Him just before his ascension, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."  (Act 1:8)

Luke’s account of the early church reveals that the apostles were functioning in the supernatural.  “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico.” (Act 5:12)  However, we do not see any record that signs and wonders were taking place at the hands of the thousands of other disciples in the early church – just the apostles.  

Although at least 5,000 people believed in Christ in Jerusalem during the early days of the church, it was the apostles who were giving testimony with great power.  “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.” (Act 4:33)

Peter Healing the Sick with his Shadow

In those days, there were constantly multitudes of people added to the church.  Yet did they bring their sick to any one of the thousands of disciples for prayer and healing?  No, they looked to Peter.  Luke states, “And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.” (Act 5:14-15).  It was Peter’s shadow they were hoping would fall on one of the sick, so that they would be healed.  This seems like a unique sign that followed His apostolic ministry.

Luke states the general sense of awe in the church at that time.  “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” (Act 2:43).  Again, notice how there were many signs and wonders taking place specifically through the apostles. No mention is made that these were taking place through every member of the church. In fact, in this passage, no mention is made of signs and wonders taking place through anyone else but the apostles.

Paul Healing the Cripple at Lystra

In the accounts of the apostle Paul’s missionary journeys, we find that he performed many miraculous signs and wonders.  In addition to healings, miracles, and casting out demons, there was even miraculous power connected with articles that belonged to him. Luke write, “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.” (Act 19:11-12). It’s amazing what God did through Paul.  Yet throughout the biblical accounts of his ministry, we don’t find similar accounts about such things happening through his companions. We never read about the apostle Barnabas, nor Silas, nor Priscilla and Aquilla, nor Apollos, nor Timothy, nor Titus performing signs and wonders.

Paul taught the Corinthians about the gifts God has appointed in the church. He wrote: “And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.”(1Co 12:28)  It was obvious from the context that these gifts were given to individuals, and they are not all given to every believer.

In this same context, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?” (1Co 12:29-30). These were rhetorical questions, and the answer was obviously negative.  Everyone is obviously not an apostle, and neither is every believer a prophet, a teacher, or a miracle worker.  Not every member of the Body has gifts of healing, speaks in tongues, or interprets tongues either.

Luke records in his account how the baptism of the Holy Spirit was bestowed at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, and Simon the sorcerer’s response to seeing this.  Luke wrote: “Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’” (Act 8:17-19)

It was the apostles who laid hands on the servants chosen to distribute food to the widows in the early church community. “And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.” (Act 6:6)

The Lord initially spoke the message of salvation Himself.  But those, who heard Him speak, later confirmed the message to others by signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit that God did through those people.  The writer of Hebrews stated, “For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” (Heb 2:2-4).  This passage could be used to show how the Lord gave signs and wonders to confirm His Word spoken by the apostles, the ones who initially heard Jesus.

Paul explained that all the members in the Body do not have the same function.  He wrote to the Romans, “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Rom 12:4-8).  He explained that each one has different gifts, and he mentions some of them given to the members of the Body, including prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, and showing mercy.  God did not paint us all one color. He did not make every member of the Body to have the same gifts. 

These signs will accompany those who have believed
Up to this point, if we had only read the Scriptures I cited above, we might believe that the supernatural power was limited to the first apostles.  But if the Lord had limited the spiritual gifts, signs and wonders to the first apostles, then the Great Commission would have also been limited to them.  When Jesus told them that they would be His witnesses, He also told them to first wait until they baptized with the Holy Spirit, so that they could be endued with all power they would need. Receiving power must precede being His witnesses.  

The apostles had already walked with Jesus for over three years, seen Him with their eyes perform miracles, and heard Him teach. They ate with Him and prayed with Him.  He had previously commissioned them along with the seventy disciples, while he was with them, to go and preach.  They had already cast out demons and healed the sick.  They even saw Him after He was resurrected from death!  So if those, who were privileged to have such prior experiences, needed to be endued with power to be His witnesses, you can be sure that every other disciple without such experiences must also receive the power of the Holy Spirit. If it was necessary for the first apostles to receive power in order to be His witnesses, then it is certainly necessary in order for anyone else to be His witness.   If Jesus limited that power to the first apostles, then how could He expect the successive generations of people in the church who came after them to fulfill the Great Commission?

We can be certain that there was no such limitation of power. Mark’s gospel ends with the following words of Jesus: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’ So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed." (Mar 16:15-20)

In this passage, Jesus said that those who have believed will be accompanied by signs that include the following:  in Jesus’ name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.  This shows us that it is the Lord’s will to confirm His word by signs that follow it whenever it is preached. It proves that signs and wonders are essential in order to fulfill the Great Commission, and those who have believed will perform these, not just apostles.

One Scriptural example of this is Philip.  He went to Samaria to preach Christ, when the church was scattered through Saul’s persecution.  “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was much rejoicing in that city.” (Act 8:4-8).  The Bible tells us that he was a man full of the Holy Spirit.  The one connection we can make between Philip and the apostles is that they had laid their hands on him when they appointed him as one of the seven to distribute food to the widows.  However, he himself was not an apostle.  Yet when he preached, he also performed signs and wonders that included miracles, healings, and casting out demons. 

In one situation, Philip was even supernaturally transported through space.  After he had led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ on the desert road to Gaza, and baptized him, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away and carried him to Azotus.  “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.” (Act 8:39-40).  So we can clearly see from Scripture that the Lord performed signs and wonders through others besides the apostles.

Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit after He went to the Father, and that the Spirit’s power would be given, so that believers could do the works that He did.  He said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” (Joh 14:12).  This promise is for those who believe in Jesus, just as Jesus said when He gave the great commission as recorded in Mark’s gospel.  It’s not limited to apostles only.

In Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians, he gave a more complete list of spiritual gifts that are given to the various members of the Body: “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” (1Co 12:1-11) Paul referred to these supernatural signs and wonders as both gifts (Greek, charisma) and manifestations (Greek, phanerosis). It is very clear from this passage that the Lord has distributed these among the various members of the Body, and they are not all given to one person or even to a select few. 

After explaining the spiritual gifts in detail to the Corinthian church, and teaching that some gifts are greater than others, because they build others up, Paul exhorted them to earnest desire the greater gifts.  He wrote: “But earnestly desire the greater gifts.” (1Co 12:31a).  The words in the original language reflect that all believers should covet these greater gifts and should be very zealous to function in them, even with a white-hot passion in their hearts.  He repeats this exhortation again a second time, saying, “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” (1Co 14:1).  Paul acknowledged that the members of the Corinthian church were all zealous for spiritual gifts, and he encouraged them in that pursuit.  Paul repeated his exhortation to them yet a third time, saying, “So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.” (1Co 14:12) Since this is repeated three times, we can assume it is important for us.  The Lord wants each disciple to passionately desire the spiritual gifts in our lives, especially prophecy, which is so important for edifying others.   Paul’s message to the Corinthians is still the same for us today.  We should seek to abound for the edification of the church, and ask the Lord for the specific gifts we would like to have in order to do so.  That’s a godly pursuit the Lord will surely honor!

Putting it All Together
It’s clear from Scripture that the Lord desires to confirm the message of salvation with signs and wonders, whenever it is preached.  These manifestations of power are essential, in order to be a witness for Christ to the ends of the earth and complete the Great Commission.  The Lord also desires to give gifts to members of the Body, so that they can build themselves up, but especially so they can build up the rest of the Body. 

Initially all one hundred twenty disciples in the upper room, which included the apostles, received the gift of the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  However, as I have explained more fully in my previous post, called “Baptized with the Spirit,” whenever disciples anywhere were baptized with the Holy Spirit, they received the same kind of power as the apostles and other disciples did initially in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.  They experienced manifestations of God’s power, such as speaking in tongues and prophecy. 

The gift of the Holy Spirit was clearly not limited to the apostles, although the early accounts highlight how they were the ones who primarily functioned in the supernatural. Jesus promised that he who believes in Him will do the works He did! While not all members of the Body have the same gifts, and not everyone functions in all the gifts, these gifts are available to all believers.  In fact, not only are they available to us all, but we are also exhorted to earnestly seek the greater spiritual gifts that lead to the edification of the Body. 

Let me encourage you today to do this.  First of all, if you have never been baptized with the Holy Spirit, then you have not yet received a very important gift that God wants to give you. Begin by praying to be baptized in the Spirit.  If you want to understand this gift better, you can read my above-mentioned blog on the topic.

Once you have been baptized with the Spirit, go before the Lord in prayer with a burning, passionate desire in your heart to edify the Body.  There may be specific gifts that you would really like to have in order to bless others.  Ask Him specifically to give you those gifts, and tell Him why you want them.  Then wait expectantly for the Holy Spirit to manifest them in you with all His omnipotent and enabling power.  And don’t forget to have faith.  When you ask, believe that you have received what you asked for, and it will be given to you. I assure you that you will not be disappointed. 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The image of Peter and John Healing the Lame Man is an Oil on canvas painting done by Nicolas Poussin is France.  The picture was painted in 1655 for a Monseur Mercier of Lyons. This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 620 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The image of Peter Healing the Sick with his Shadow is a fresco painted in 1426-27 by Masaccio, who was originally named Tommaso Cassai and born in San Giovanni Valdarno.  The fresco is located at a chapel called Cappella Brancacci, in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy. The image of Paul Healing the Cripple at Lystra is an oil on canvas painted by Karel Dujardin around 1663. The artwork is on display at Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. I recommend reading Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased? and The Name of Jesus.  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Holy Spirit's Role in God's Kingdom

Take time with me today to consider the Holy Spirit's crucial role in God's Kingdom, as well as it's advancement. He is God, the third person of the Trinity. Without him the kingdom of God cannot function or even exist any more than a car can run without a battery or a ship can sail across the ocean without any sort of navigational equipment.

Unfortunately, in many churches, the Holy Spirit is not welcome.  The leaders have "programmed" Him completely out of the meetings and church life, and they don't realize what a dangerous place they are in.  While all their songs and activities for God continue unabated, they don't even realize that above the door is written the word "Ichabod," which means "the glory has departed."

When Jesus appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days following His resurrection, He spoke about the kingdom of God (Ac 1:3).  This is no surprise, since Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God all the time, from the beginning of His ministry until the end.  But then Luke states “On one occasion…” meaning “On one occasion when He spoke about the kingdom of God…” 

And he goes on to write that Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promised gift of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Ac 1:4-5).  This was definitely one of those occasions when Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God.  We know this not only from the context that precedes these verses, but also from what follows them.  When they met together with Jesus, after He had said this, they asked Him if He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel at that time (Ac 1:6).  This is because when they heard what He said about waiting in Jerusalem and being baptized with the Holy Spirit, they assumed He was talking about the restoration of the kingdom to Israel with them reigning in power on earth with Jesus. 

“So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Act 1:6-8)

His reply to their question was also very interesting.  He did not say that the event they referred to would never happen.  He simply told them that it was not for them to know when these things would happen, because they were among the times and dates the Father has set by His own authority. 

Then he told them that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, so that they could be His witnesses in Jerusalem and all over the earth.  So it’s clear from this passage that the power of the Holy Spirit is definitely essential to the kingdom of God.

As I mentioned, this was one of those occasions when Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God, and specifically He was speaking to them about the baptism in the Holy Spirit.  When we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we receive power to be witnesses for Jesus, as well as live a holy life and do God’s will.  This is what the kingdom of God is about; it’s His reign in us spreading across the earth to the lives of other people!

Jesus did all of His miracles by the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit (Luk 4:14-21; Is 61:1; Jn 14:10b).  And He said, "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." (Mat 12:28).  We know He did cast out demons by the Spirit of God, and He said that this meant the kingdom of God had come upon the people there in that place.

Likewise, Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with instructions to "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons." (Mat 10:8)  At that time, He also instructed them, "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" (Mat 10:7).  You see, the Spirit of God enabled them to do these supernatural things, and they were to proclaim to the people that the kingdom of heaven was at hand.

That was God's way then and it still is today.  It’s impossible for the kingdom of God to truly be advanced in any other way.  It happens only by the power of the Holy Spirit.

"'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts." (Zec 4:6)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as The Role of the Trinity in Drawing People to God, Baptized with the Spirit, Holy Fire Baptism, The Holy Spirit Speaks, The Holy Trinity, By the Spirit of God Alone, Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?, and The Spirit without Limit. I also recommend The Kingdom of God is Like This, The Secret Kingdom, and The Link Between Two Realms. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.