The Baptism with the Holy Spirit 

As a young believer myself, I often heard the minister call people to receive the
baptism with the Holy Spirit, and I often wondered what it meant, I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. I also recall seeing people speaking with other tongues, and how
strange and insignificant it sounded to me, I didn’t need that, so I thought.
Years passed by and i was invited by a friend to a youth kesha, after the praise and
worship session, the pastor asked anyone who wanted to receive the Holy Spirit to
come forward, a few people made their way to the altar, and so after giving it a
thought, I have nothing to lose, I said within me, and so I made my way to the altar.
The pastor came laying hands on people and all would fall under the power of God,
for me I didn’t know what to expect, he came near me and touched me, I fell under the
power, I couldn’t help it, and he encouraged us to speak in the language we felt
coming from our being, and the first words i uttered still resound in my mind as clear
as day, I didn’t feel anything, no electricity no nothing, there is a reason I am saying
this and will address this later. As uninformed as I was on the Holy Spirit and who He
was, i was sort of disappointed , I was ashamed of the tongues because to my finite
mind, it sounded “childish” and all I could attach to the Holy Spirit was tongues and
nothing else, so from that day i made a decision to suppress this tongues, I remember
wishing someone had taught me about the Holy Spirit, why He is important and so
on. One fateful Sunday, as our senior pastor asked those who could speak with other
tongues to speak during a church service, I remember restraining myself and looking
around and holding myself from speaking, and I felt the peace that I had leave, I felt
empty, I knew I had grieved the Holy Spirit, the emptiness I felt couldn’t be compared
to anything and I hunger was stirred in me to search the scriptures on the topic of the
Holy Spirit. God sovereignly led me to friends house who had a book on the topic of
the Holy Spirit, the baptism with the Holy Spirit and testimonies on how the Holy
Spirit helped them in life and ministry, unfortunately the book was severed and i only
had a chunk of the book, and that’s all I needed to get me started. As I was done
reading the book, we had a session at a discipleship class and the teaching was on the
Holy Spirit, what a coincidence! I was excited, and as the lesson came to a close, he
gave an instruction , that we study the chapters of John 14, 15 and 16, and also the
book of Acts chapters 1 and 2, adding that we didn’t need anyone to lay hands on us ,
that we could ask by faith and receive. All this while the Holy Spirit hadn’t left me, I
just needed a refreshing of the Holy Spirit, and so that Monday armed with scripture
and the book on the Holy Spirit began to ask for a refreshing, I did repent for grieving
the Holy Spirit by not fully embracing Him as a good and perfect gift from God. I
expected something to happen, my heart was open and nothing happened, I went
through my day and when the night came, I wondered why I wasn’t refreshed, I
decided to retire to my bed, I couldn’t sleep, and in my desperation and hunger, God
do it now! It was cry and immediately I felt like a liquid was poured on my head and
surges of electricity flowed through my body, I broke forth into a new language, this
language was more clear, I could hear
every syllable, it was an actual language, I was immersed in Gods presence for a
whole week, this verse describes what I experienced Songs of Solomon 3:4 Scarcely
had I passed them When I found him whom my soul loves, the Holy Spirit was no
longer a thing, I could get to know Him, I became more aware of His presence, such
an awe of God came upon me, I abhorred sin, I only wanted to please God, such an
intense hunger for Gods word and the need to pray came upon me, I passionately
began to seek the Lord. This marked the beginning of a pursuit of intimacy with the
Lord.
I have shared my testimony to show the Lord’s faithfulness, and with that said, my
testimony is not the yardstick to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, it’s to show
if God could do it for me, He can do it for you. Lets do a brief study on this topic.
What is the Baptism with the Holy Spirit?
We have had many denominations and many beliefs in the Christian circle on the
baptism with the Holy Spirit, some say every Christian with the Holy Spirit during
conversion, others believe it happens after conversion, others believe in an evident
manifestation of the baptism with the Holy Spirit, while others believe that the
manifestations of the baptism with the Holy Spirit as the early church had such as
tongues, prophesy and gifts of the spirit ceased with the apostolic age, i believe its
safe for us to stick with the written word.
The word baptize comes from the Greek word “baptizō” to dip repeatedly, to
immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk), just as we conduct water baptisms by
immersion in water, so does this word suggest we are immersed with or in the Holy
Spirit.
Once we repent of our sins, and believe on the Lord Jesus, we are indwelled with the
Spirit, receiving the life of God in our spirits which were once dead due to sin, (Eph4:30, Eph 2:5) no one can become a child of God without the Holy Spirit dwelling in
them (Romans 8:9), the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ (1
Corinthians 12:13) we are buried with Christ during water baptism (Col 2:12,
Romans 6:4) and we are baptized with the Holy Spirit by Jesus Christ Himself!(luke
3:16, Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8). What a joy to see that all these revolve around Jesus
Christ our Lord and Saviour.
The promise to Abraham
Genesis 17: 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed
after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and
to thy seed after thee.
Genesis 22:18
YOU SHALL RECEIVE POWER.
And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have
obeyed My voice.”
Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ: that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.15
Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if
it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.16 Now to Abraham and his
seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one,
And to thy seed, which is Christ.
God had promised to give the gift of the Holy Spirit to the seed of Abraham, and
through Christ we are qualified to receive this promise.
Do I need the Baptism with the Holy Spirit?
Our Lord Jesus while on His earthly ministry mentioned to His disciples on the
coming of the Holy Spirit ( John 16:7, John 14:26, John 14: 16, John 15:26, ), the
disciples had already believed on Jesus, they even performed miracles, raised the
dead, cast out devils in the name of Jesus ( Matthew 10: 8, Luke 10:9) , meaning even
they received the baptism with the Spirit, but they still needed to receive the baptism
with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1: 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and
ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria,
and unto the uttermost part of the earth
Luke 24: 49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But
stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.
We can see that there is no question that every genuine believer in Jesus Christ is
indwelled and sealed with the Holy Spirit just as the disciples, and we see them still
needing to be filled with the power from heaven to be effective in their assignment.
We can see in the old testament Kings, Priests, Prophets and judges have the Holy
Spirit come upon them temporarily until the task is completed and then He leaves,
for us He will be with us forever. ( (Num. 11:17–25, Deut. 34:9, Judg. 3:10; 6:34, 1
Sam. 16:1–14)
The Holy Spirit Comforts (John 14:18), empowers (Acts 1:8), advocates for us (John
14:16, Romans 8:26-28) reminds us Gods Word (John 14:26), reveals to us the things
to come (John 16: 13), sanctifies us (1 Peter 1:12)
Who can receive the Holy Spirit?
Acts 2: 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in
the name of Jesus Christ for the [k]remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of
YOU SHALL RECEIVE POWER.
the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are
afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Joel 2: “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry
ground: I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your
descendants.
Isaiah 55:1 Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.
John 7: 37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out,
saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in
Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39
But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those [g]believing in Him would
receive; for the [h]Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet
glorified.
Psalm 107:9 For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled
with what is good.
Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears
say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the
water of life without cost.
Acts 11: 15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us
at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized
with[a] water, but you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.’ 17 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?”
Acts 10: 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all
who heard the message 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were
astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46
For they heard them speaking in tongues[b] and praising God.
We can take a few pointers on who can receive the Holy Spirit.
1. Anyone who believes on the Lord Jesus
2. Anyone who is thirsty for the Holy Spirit
YOU SHALL RECEIVE POWER.
We can also address some misconceptions on receiving the Holy Spirit
through these scriptures.
1. Its not for the “Holy” or the “super saints and the superspiritual” , its a
gift! We don’t earn receiving the Holy Spirit baptism. Thats why the
gift is given in Acts 2 and not in Acts 28.
2. I have done too many sins, I can’t receive the Holy Spirit. Its not our
righteousness that makes us right with God, but the perfect sacrifice of
Jesus Christ
Romans 5: 8But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. 9Therefore, since we have now been
justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath
through Him! 10For if, when we were enemies of God, we were
reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more,
having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!…
Isaiah 64: 6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousness’s are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our
iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Romans 3: 2 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus
Christ unto all and upon all of them that believe for there is no
difference:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Ephesians 2: 8For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and
this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no
one can boast.…
3. I will lose control, He can make me do things i don’t want I have seen
how some have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fell, or
screamed, or rolled on the floor in a way that denotes loss of control, I
cannot explain these occurrences except alluding to the assumption that
some either are being set free from bondage, I can’t account for that, but
this I can assure you; the word doesn’t show us people fall, or scream or
lose control, in the upper room there was order, the
disciples didn’t fall or scream, whether these accounts of people
“losing control” happens or not, let’s choose to stick with God’s word
on this issue. The Holy Spirit is Gentle. I too had an experience, felt a
liquid poured over me, I felt electric surges all over my body, that can
happen to anyone, experiences can be valid, but the word still remains
as our standard, not other people experiences and encounters.
What happens when you receive the Holy Spirit?
Acts 2: 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled all the house where they were sitting.3 And there appeared unto them
cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.4 And they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance.
Acts 8: 14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:15 Who, when they
were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:16 (For as
yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus.)17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.18
And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost
YOU SHALL RECEIVE POWER.
was given, he offered them money,19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on
whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
This shows that there was an initial evidence known to all that one had received the
baptism with the Holy Spirit.
We can even prior to the outpouring in Acts 2 , the Holy Spirit came upon some
temporarily, and was expressed vocally,
Luke 1: 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed
are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb
Luke 1: 67Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and
prophesied:
We can see how the Holy Spirit found expression in Zechariah and Elizabeth, there is
a vocalization or a proclamation indicating one has received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 19: 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the
people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this,
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on
them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues[b] and
prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
Now that we have got this far, we see how God gives this gift freely to those who
believe.
Why haven’t I received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit?
Many are on the verge of giving up or question the authenticity of their faith In Jesus
Christ and the Love of God towards them after not receiving the baptism with the
Holy Spirit despite asking for a long time and also having people lay hands on them.
My word of encouragement to you is that you still a child of God, heaven bound, you
authority in Jesus name, you are not any less than those who have received the
Baptism with the Spirit, the only thing is that you have not yet been endued with
power to be more effective and efficient in the walk with the Lord, Jesus Christ had to
be anointed with the Holy Spirit too despite being born of the Spirit ( what happens
when we repent of our sins and believe on the Lord Jesus)
Acts 10: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and
how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the
devil, because God was with him.
Here are some of the impediments to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
1. Wrong belief on the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a result of wrong teaching
that is not founded on Gods word.
2. Involvement with the occult, wicca, occult games such as tarot cards, Ouija
boards, using horoscopes etc. If you have done so in the past, repent and
renounce involvement with the occult.
3. Unforgiveness impeded one from receiving the Holy Spirit.
4. Thinking that all there is to the Holy Spirit is tongues, and a negative image
painted on your heart and mind. I personally disliked the idea of speaking in these
tongues which sounded repetitive, similar among many, childish, and for this, I
asked God to give me actual languages, and He graciously did.
If there are any other reservations, talk to the Lord about them, ask Him to shed
more light on them, and deal with those He can.
By this far, I believe some of you can feel a burning in your heart, the Holy Spirit
bearing witness to this writing, now let’s proceed to pray and receive the Baptism
with the Spirit.
YOU SHALL RECEIVE POWER.
Let’s point out these few truths before we proceed.
1. Its Jesus who Baptizes with the Spirit.
2. It’s for everyone who believes.
3. You shall receive power, Jesus is assuring us of this possibility, Jesus is so
meticulous that he counted the 120 heads in the upper room and not one
missed!
4. Don’t let fear paralyze you, begin proclaiming God’s word and promises, fear
is brought about by the doubting of the ability and faithfulness of God, He is
able, He is powerful, He is willing!
Jeremiah 32:“I am the LORD, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is
anything too hard for me?
And He promises this, Psalms 34: 7Take delight in the LORD, and he will give
you the desires of your heart.
John 14: 13And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may
be glorified in the Son. 14If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.…
5. Jesus’ prayers are always answered
John !4:16And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate
to be with you forever
John 11: 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went
and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even
now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
6. God is a good father, better than the best earthly fathers
Luke 11: 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will
find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks
receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be
opened.11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a
snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you
then, though you are evil, know how t give good gifts to your children, how
much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask
him!”
7.He is not a man either, He doesn’t go back on His word, especially not
concerning His children , such as you are .
Numbers 23: 19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that
He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and
will He not make it good?
8. Gods love is undeniable
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but
Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
9. He knows you by name
Isaiah 49:15“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for
the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you! 16Behold,
I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.
We partner with God in being Filled, the Receiving is not passive but an active
act.
Before you pray, you might think that when you ask automatically you will
begin speaking in this language as God gives utterance, it can happen, but for
you to receive you must partner with God, the Bible says,
Acts 2: 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with
other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
THEY BEGAN TO SPEAK, even after prayer, continue speaking, be it prayer, be
it praise or adoring God, then as you speak with understanding, the Holy Spirit
will give you words to speak and He will inspire your speech as you speak or
pray or praise.
JESUS SUPPLIES THE ABILITY BUT NOT THE ACTION, MANY PEOPLE FEEL
SOMETHING AFTER PRAYER BUT DON’T ENGAGE THE GIFT, THAT’S WHY IT
IS IMPORTANT TO OFFER YOUR VOCAL CORDS AS THE LORD GIVES THE
ABILITY TO SPEAK WITH THESE NEW LANGUAGES.
Don’t feel pressured to speak with tongues, the Lord gives this as a sign,
focus on the Lord and the Holy Spirit as a person, look forward to the
beginning of something wonderful. You only offer the vessel, and Jesus fills
it.
YOU SHALL RECEIVE POWER.
Prayer to receive the Holy Spirit.
(You can with your own words powered by the understanding the simple
lesson we have gone through, it will happen)
For those who need further assistances, lets pray.
THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, I HAVE SEEN
HOW I NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HOW YOU QUALIFIED ME TO
RECEIVE THIS PROMISE, BAPTIZE ME WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, FILL
ME UP TO OVERFLOW, LET LIVING WATERS FLOW FROM MY BELLY, I
SURRENDER MYSELF HOLY SPIRIT, FILL ME TO OVERFLOW. Continue
praying or praising or worshipping God and be aware that Jesus the
baptizer has heard you and that He will fill you.
What you have just experienced is not from the devil
Luke 11: Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a
snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? , its not
from your head
1 Corinthians 14: For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is
unfruitful
1 Corinthians 12: 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking
by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is
Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
It doesn’t end here with the baptism with the Holy Spirit, we need
constant refreshing of the Holy Spirit
Acts 4: 31 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.
The apostles were refreshed with the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 5: Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your
life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit
Pray in the spirit often
I Corinthians 14: 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is
unfruitful. 15What then shall I do? I will pray with my spirit,
1 Corinthians 14: 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to
people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by
the Spirit.
Jude 1: But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy
faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
Continually seeking more intimacy
YOU SHALL RECEIVE POWER.
Colossians 2: 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk
in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have
been taught, abounding [d]in it with thanksgiving.8 Beware lest anyone
[e]cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition
of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to
Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead [f]bodily; 10 and
you are complete in Him, who is the head of all [g]principality and power.
2 Corinthians 13:14
Verse Concepts
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
with the Lord in His Word and in prayer, producing more fruit of the Spirit in
this walk(Galatians 5:22)
Shalom.
YOU SHALL RECEIVE POWER.