Baptism in the spirit is not an optional extra for some but an essential empowering for anyone who truely seeks to walk in the purposes of Jesus fruitfully.
The reason for this is that the empowering of the Holy Spirit upon you and the manifestation of what gifts you need to serve effectively where you are planted will follow this important gift of Grace.
I will start with contextualising the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Broadly speaking the Empowering of the Spirit upon God's servants in the old covenant was temporary for a task. Further I don't believe in the OC the saints were indwelled as we are.
So being born again means permanent indwelling, however He can be grieved by our lack of communion with Him and His presence can dissipate. We then need fresh infilling after repentance...
It seems to me that the born again experience is at a time when He gives the Grace to make the decision to be fully surrendered to His Will.
But the BHS experience is in His time - not our decision but His.
Now a critical matter to understand is that JB was given a sign to recognise Messiah.
He baptising in the Jordan and was told to watch out for the ONE on whom the Spirit would come upon and remain upon.
All others would receive a temporary blessing of the presence of the Spirit but Jesus received this permanently.
It should be noted that Jesus was indwelled with the Spirit from birth, but this Baptism in the Spirit that He received as He was coming up out of the water was a permanent empowering upon Him for ministry.
It is important to note that JB was also told the Jesus would Baptise in the Holy Spirit and that what JB saw was in fact the very first occasion on which any human was baptised in the Spirit.
The BHS is not always given by the laying on of hands - many, like myself testify to receiving BHS quite independently.
In scripture when BHS was received at the time of laying on of hands, the apostles must have been hearing from the Spirit and been in sync with God's timing.
That is one of the reasons there has been confusion - leaders laying on hands without really knowing it is God's time for the individual.
Combine this with the insistence that every individual must speak in tongues and you have serious mix of half truth.
I received the Baptism in the Spirit in a church that didnt even believe in it - listening to a sermon in a Brethren Church I suddenly saw the chasm between His Holiness and my pitiful state. I was in tears for about an hour, in deep repentance, and it seemed as if my mind was being pulled apart and put back together. I had no idea what was happening. The next day Jesus made it clear that I had been baptised in the Spirit.
He is a good God with good gifts - we don't need a hand in it to help Him along.
So how do we know we have been blessed this way...
There is a fresh and permanent enabling to fulfil what we are called to do and gifts are manifest to accomplish this.
How do we get it ?
Ask and you shall receive - but in His time.
Given the challenge in this age to stand for Jesus in a hostile and deceptive world, you certainly need it.
'Seeing' what is going on spiritually is critical.
I used to help run an open home and as soon as a trouble maker stepped onto the property day or night He would alert me in the Spirit.
It is a 'plateau' experience - your whole perception of spiritual matters will permanently change.
Like Elijah's servant being shown the army in the spirit realm.
However the control of such gifts is in His hands not ours, He turns them on when needed.
If you receive a gift, always ask for wisdom in its use and give it back to Him.
So I pray according to "if we ask anything according to His Will He hears us and if we know he hears us we know that He grants the request that we ask"
So is it Gods will for you to be empowered for ministry ?
Then ask with certain confidence.
Questions welcome.
The reason for this is that the empowering of the Holy Spirit upon you and the manifestation of what gifts you need to serve effectively where you are planted will follow this important gift of Grace.
I will start with contextualising the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Broadly speaking the Empowering of the Spirit upon God's servants in the old covenant was temporary for a task. Further I don't believe in the OC the saints were indwelled as we are.
So being born again means permanent indwelling, however He can be grieved by our lack of communion with Him and His presence can dissipate. We then need fresh infilling after repentance...
It seems to me that the born again experience is at a time when He gives the Grace to make the decision to be fully surrendered to His Will.
But the BHS experience is in His time - not our decision but His.
Now a critical matter to understand is that JB was given a sign to recognise Messiah.
He baptising in the Jordan and was told to watch out for the ONE on whom the Spirit would come upon and remain upon.
All others would receive a temporary blessing of the presence of the Spirit but Jesus received this permanently.
It should be noted that Jesus was indwelled with the Spirit from birth, but this Baptism in the Spirit that He received as He was coming up out of the water was a permanent empowering upon Him for ministry.
It is important to note that JB was also told the Jesus would Baptise in the Holy Spirit and that what JB saw was in fact the very first occasion on which any human was baptised in the Spirit.
The BHS is not always given by the laying on of hands - many, like myself testify to receiving BHS quite independently.
In scripture when BHS was received at the time of laying on of hands, the apostles must have been hearing from the Spirit and been in sync with God's timing.
That is one of the reasons there has been confusion - leaders laying on hands without really knowing it is God's time for the individual.
Combine this with the insistence that every individual must speak in tongues and you have serious mix of half truth.
I received the Baptism in the Spirit in a church that didnt even believe in it - listening to a sermon in a Brethren Church I suddenly saw the chasm between His Holiness and my pitiful state. I was in tears for about an hour, in deep repentance, and it seemed as if my mind was being pulled apart and put back together. I had no idea what was happening. The next day Jesus made it clear that I had been baptised in the Spirit.
He is a good God with good gifts - we don't need a hand in it to help Him along.
So how do we know we have been blessed this way...
There is a fresh and permanent enabling to fulfil what we are called to do and gifts are manifest to accomplish this.
How do we get it ?
Ask and you shall receive - but in His time.
Given the challenge in this age to stand for Jesus in a hostile and deceptive world, you certainly need it.
'Seeing' what is going on spiritually is critical.
I used to help run an open home and as soon as a trouble maker stepped onto the property day or night He would alert me in the Spirit.
It is a 'plateau' experience - your whole perception of spiritual matters will permanently change.
Like Elijah's servant being shown the army in the spirit realm.
However the control of such gifts is in His hands not ours, He turns them on when needed.
If you receive a gift, always ask for wisdom in its use and give it back to Him.
So I pray according to "if we ask anything according to His Will He hears us and if we know he hears us we know that He grants the request that we ask"
So is it Gods will for you to be empowered for ministry ?
Then ask with certain confidence.
Questions welcome.
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