Thursday, August 18, 2016

Receiving the Holy Spirit Baptism





Jesus Christ promised the baptism in
the Holy Spirit to those who believe in Him and who obey Him, the
Spirit of Christ living in them, streams of living water flowing
through them, but very few believers receive the baptism in the Holy
Spirit. Many do not even know about the Holy Spirit, they do not know
how to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ promised the Holy Spirit,
I read from John chapter 7 verse 37:"Now on the last day the day
of the feast Jesus stood and cried out saying, "If anyone is
thirsty let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me as the
Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living
water." But this He spoke of the Spirit whom those who believed
in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given because
Jesus was not yet glorified." The Holy Spirit was only given
after Jesus was glorified after His death and resurrection and after
He ascended to heaven. Therefore, before He ascended He commanded the
disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit.
We read in Acts chapter 1 verse 4,
"Gathering and them together He commanded them not to leave
Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which"
He said, "you heard from Me; for John baptized with water but
you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
So the disciples went to Jerusalem and they were waiting but they
were praying, waiting on this Holy Spirit that Jesus promised, the
streams of living water that would be in them and flow through them,
the Power that they would receive from on-high. We read in acts
chapter 2 verse 1, "When the day of Pentecost had come they were
all together in one place and suddenly they came from heaven noise
like a violent rushing wind and it filled the whole house where they
were sitting. And there appear to them tongues as of fire
distributing themselves, and they rested on each of them. And they
were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance." So then
everybody wanted to know what was happening and Peter stood up and he
spoke. We read in Acts chapter 2 verse 38, "Peter said to them,
"Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness of your sins 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. The Holy Spirit was not just promised to them, to the first
believers, it was promised to all those who would believe in Jesus
Christ even to us, to you and to me. I have received the Holy Spirit
like many others have also received the Holy Spirit baptism, streams
of living water, the Spirit of Christ living in me. And the promise
is for everyone who believes and who obeys Jesus Christ who repents
and who is baptized in water and who seeks that streams of living
water flowing from the inner man, streams of healing, revelation, the
power of God, the fruit of the Spirit, that relationship with Jesus
Christ, that constant awareness of His presence; living in His
presence, Jesus Christ in you, Emmanuel, the mystery of all ages,
that Christ can dwell in a person, because that is what happens when
you are baptized in the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ comes and He dwells
in you. Very few believers experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit
and many want to know how: How do you receive the baptism of the Holy
Spirit? It is Jesus Christ Himself who baptizes in the Holy Spirit,
it is He Himself who makes His Spirit to dwell in you ,to come and
live in you, to flow through you; streams of living water, Christ in
you.
We have to seek, yearn for Him. Our
relationship with Jesus Christ is through prayer. The disciples went
to Jerusalem and they waited on Him; they were in prayer, they were
focused on Jesus, praying, worshiping Him, seeking Him yearning for
Him with all their heart and that is how you receive the baptism in
the Holy Spirit. You have to invite Jesus in; into your heart into
your being, so that He will fill you come and dwell in you and that
those streams of living water, the Spirit of Christ will flow through
you. If you earnestly seek Jesus, wait on Him, ask for His Spirit
invite Him in, He will come and He will dwell in you, but you first
have to repent you have to clean out your life clean, out your house
make space for Jesus; be baptized in water in obedience to Him to not
only clean up your life, your mind, but also your body and present
yourself to Him as a holy temple where He can dwell, and He will fill
you. Streams of living water will flow through you; you will speak in
other tongues, heavenly tongues. You will communicate with God in a
tongue you do not understand and you will be able to speak in that
tongue at any time, even in your mind, in your sleep; because you
will be permeated with the Holy Spirit. But you have to keep it
flowing; you have to speak that tongue. YOU have to pray in that
tongue because if you do not exercise the gift, the Spirit of God
dwelling in you, then you will go dormant and it will stop flowing,
that stream of living water. YOU have to keep it flowing; you have to
keep yourself as a willing suitable instrument, a vessel in the hand
of God for His Spirit to flow through. You have to live your life to
please Jesus; focus on Him, receive your guidance and your wisdom
from Him. Keep on seeking Him so that that river of life living water
will keep on flowing through you. That is the mistake that many
people make once they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit; they
think they have salvation and they neglect their relationship with
Jesus Christ. Many of them turn away from Jesus and they are still
able to speak in tongues because He never takes His gift away from
you. Many go back to sin and they still speak in tongues but their
relationship with Jesus Christ is destroyed. The Holy Spirit will
convict, speak to, draw them back to Him, chastise them, but if they
continue in their wicked ways they will get cut off and burned; they
were end up in Hell. The Holy Spirit is not a guarantee of salvation,
it is our connection, a gift, the Spirit of God living in us, but if
we stop the flow we will dry up and we will eventually get cut off
and burned. So we have to keep that flow moving through us through
our relationship with Jesus Christ, always praying, always waiting on
Him, always listening, to obeying, following Him, seeking His will
and doing it, keeping our communion our relationship with Him alive
and doing our part, doing what He commands us to do, what He guides
us to do, and then we can bear fruit for the kingdom of God. But we
need to yearn for Him, seek for Him until we receive Him and then we
must cherish, make sure that our relationship with Him is always
right, keep ourselves pure, holy, willing, eager, to do His will and
follow Him until the very end, and He will use us for His kingdom.
Without the Holy Spirit we cannot serve Jesus. Without the Holy
Spirit we cannot hear His voice, we cannot receive His guidance; we
need the Holy Spirit. Go and seek that indwelling Holy Spirit of
Christ. Seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him. He will
fill you and streams of living water will flow through you.
That is what Jesus promised to those
who believe in Him and who obey Him. They will live in His presence,
now already
May Jesus bless you.

No comments:

Post a Comment