" BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST PART 1 "
Act 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
THESE MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT ARTICLES THAT I HAVE EVER WRITTEN…IF MY READERS CAN UNDERSTAND THEM, AND TAKE THEM TO HEART!
In my last article, I wrote that I believed there will be a last great outpouring and baptism of the Holy Ghost just before the return of Jesus Christ. However, we do not need to wait a few short years for this outpouring (my timeline is 2022 AD). We all need the baptism of the Holy Ghost RIGHT NOW!
A great misconception many people have is that we need to be holy, clean, and without sin to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. If this were the case, nobody would ever receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. We need the baptism of the Holy Ghost because it is HE that makes us holy and clean. It is the Holy Ghost who washes the inside and outside of our unclean vessels. Without the Holy Ghost, we can never be fit instruments for God’s service.
Act 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
Act 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.
Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Jesus commanded His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Ghost! We are being exceedingly presumptuous if we think we can be of any service to God WITHOUT the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is not needed for salvation, but the baptism is definitely REQUIRED for service to God and to accomplish a victorious life and a divinely directed ministry.
Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, BUT BY MY SPIRIT, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zec 4:7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
There is a definite sequence of events in the New Testament. Jesus is our PERFECT example, Jesus is our perfect PATTERN. First, Jesus went to John the Baptist in order to be baptized in WATER.
Mat 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
Mat 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and LIGHTING upon him:
Our baptism in water represents DEATH itself. Unfortunately, most people do not realize or understand this, they still have an abundance of hopes, plans, and strategies to improve themselves and their lot in life without any consideration for God’s plan for their life.
After Jesus was baptized in water, the Spirit of God descended like a dove, and LIGHTED upon him.
LIGHTING: G2064, erchomai
Thayer Definition:
After we are baptized, we should begin digging a grave for our old plans and our old aspirations, and we should be asking God for His new plan for our life. We should consider our old pre-salvation, worldly plans, and aspirations DEAD. How many Christians actually die to their self? I dare say…not many.
Php 2:19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.
Php 2:20 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
Php 2:21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.
I am not pointing fingers because for too many years I sought my own plans, and not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. I believe that the Lord is willing, in these last days, that our understanding will be opened for the world’s sake, and for our own sake.
After Jesus was baptized in water, we observe that Jesus, FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, was driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit for forty days and forty nights, and all the while He was fasting, and then He was tempted by the devil. Why?
Luk 4:1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led in the Spirit in the wilderness
Luk 4:2 during forty days, being tempted of the devil. And he did eat nothing in those days: and when they were completed, he hungered.
We must always remember that Jesus is our PERFECT PATTERN and example.
Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
The Exodus of the nation of Israel from the land of Egypt was also our example (but not a perfect one), and an allegory of our own SPIRITUAL journey, the story of Exodus reveals our complete bondage to sin and death (the World), and the story eventually unveils God’s plan for our arrival and possession of the Promised Land (the Kingdom of God), which is the ONLY place of peace, liberty, Godly service, and victory. Israel had to deal with the same temptations that Adam and Eve had to deal with, and the same temptations that Jesus Christ had to deal with, and the same passions and temptations that ALL of us must deal with BEFORE we enter the Promised Land.
Act 14:14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
Act 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like PASSIONS with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
PASSIONS: G3663, homoiopathēs
Thayer Definition:
Nobody is exempt from dealing with the same passions and temptations common to all people. There should be some comfort in realizing this because the Bible shows us that supernatural victory is possible if we will only trust God. We see that Jesus, like the nation of Israel during the Exodus, came out of Egypt. We are ALL born under bondage!
Mat 2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
Mat 2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Then like the nation of Israel, Jesus was baptized in the wilderness.
1Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
Being obedient is good, but having understanding is better. Baptism in water represents the death of our old man, and the death to our old life, and our RESURRECTION and our re-birth as a new man in Jesus Christ, and the dedication of our new life to GOD! Baptism is not just a mysterious ritual that Christians go through.
If we are following the PERFECT PATTERN of Jesus Christ, first we must be baptized in water, then we must be anointed for service to God… we must be baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues!
Mar 5:41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
There are several places in the Gospels where Jesus spoke in a different language, and His words had to be INTERPRETED. I believe Jesus was speaking in tongues by inspiration of the Holy Ghost. He was NOT uttering strange incantations!
Just like the nation of Israel during the Exodus, Jesus went into the wilderness. Unlike most of the nation of Israel, Jesus did not die in the wilderness. Also, unlike the nation of Israel, Jesus only spent forty DAYS and NIGHTS in the wilderness, NOT forty YEARS in the wilderness!
Luk 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luk 4:2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
The amount of time that we each spend in our own personal wilderness depends upon whether we allow the Holy Ghost to mortify (put to death) our flesh and our carnal passions. Like the children of Israel, for the last two-thousand (2000) years, most Christians have died in the wilderness…I do not mean figuratively, I mean the MAJORITY of Christians have literally died without experiencing a supernaturally victorious life…that is about to change!
In the story of the Exodus, two old-timers (Joshua and Caleb) entered into the Promised Land, but the last generation were born and raised in the wilderness, they with Joshua and Caleb, also boldly went in and conquered the Promised Land.
I believe that Joshua (Jesus) represents Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, patiently waiting for the final generation to reach maturity before He enters into the Promised Land.
Caleb: H3612, kâlêb, kaw-labe'
Perhaps a form of H3611, or else from the same root in the sense of forcible; Caleb, the name of three Israelites: - Caleb.
H3611: H3611, keleb, keh'-leb
From an unused root meaning to yelp, or else to attack; a dog; hence (by euphemism) a male prostitute: - dog.
Num 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
Num 14:22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
Num 14:23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
Num 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
I believe Caleb (dog) represents all of the old-timers born before 1967, who have glimpsed the Promised Land, who possessed faith to enter in, who have prepared themselves to enter in, but who are prevented from possessing the Promised Land prior to the arrival and maturation of God’s ANOINTED GENERATION.
SEE http://www.motsog.com/fundamentals/gods-anointed-generation
When I was a kid there were a lot of old-timers who were sure that Jesus was coming back during their life-time, but they never lived to see it…the second coming of Jesus is the most looked for event in world history!
Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This GENERATION shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
GENERATION: G1074, genea, ghen-eh-ah'
From (a presumed derivative of) G1085; a generation; by implication an age (the period or the persons): - age, generation, nation, time.
If you have read many of my earlier articles, you understand that I believe JERUSALEM is the key to understanding Bible prophecy.
JERUSALEM: H3389, yerûshâlaim, yerûshâlayim, yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im, yer-oo-shaw-lah'-yim
A dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of H3390)); probably from (the passive participle of) H3384 and H7999; founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine: - Jerusalem.
JERUSALEM literally means TEACHING PEACE.
JERUSALEM is the place where Jesus taught, and ministered, and died, and rose from the dead on the third day. JERUSALEM is the place where Jesus will return and reign over the whole world for a thousand years! Therefore, we need to keep our eyes on JERUSALEM. On June 7, 1967, the Israeli Defense Forces took the Old City of JERUSALEM during the Six Day War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_Day
I believe that on the Feast of Pentecost, June 7, 2030, the feet of Jesus Christ will touch down on the Mount of Olives, in the City of JERUSALEM.
On June 7, 1967, I believe the countdown began for the generation that will witness the events surrounding the prophecies of the last days and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. If you read the prophecies of the Bible, it is obvious that prophetic events are unfolding at an ever increasing speed, and JERUSALEM IS THE KEY.
Luk 21:20 And when ye shall see JERUSALEM compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Luk 21:21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
Luk 21:22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
Luk 21:23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
Luk 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and JERUSALEM shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
