The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

"He who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow springs and rivers of living water" (John 7:38).

"Out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45b).

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression (Acts 2:4 Amplified in part).

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you... (Acts 1:8a)

There is a subsequent experience to salvation. This awesome experience is called the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The word baptism comes from the Greek word "baptizo," which means to immerse into...

When you are saved, when you ask Jesus to come into your life and be your Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit moves into your heart and you become the temple of the Holy Spirit. You become a new creation, and the Holy Spirit becomes a spring of living water inside your spirit (John 4:13-14). This spring that He sets up in your spirit quenches your spiritual thirst. You become righteous by the Blood of Jesus Christ, and you are put in right standing with God. You, a sinner, can now be called a saint, and you are made fit to be in a relationship with a Holy God. However, the Holy Spirit now wants to overflow in your life and OUT from your spirit.

After the Holy Spirit has come into your spirit at salvation, He now wants to overflow out of your spirit and into the spiritual atmosphere surrounding you - TO BECOME A RIVER OF LIVING WATER FLOWING OUT OF YOU (John 7:38). He wants to overflow out of you and out onto the world around you. This "overflow" state of the Christian is called the Baptism, when you become immersed and overwhelmed in the Spirit of God.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit opens up the supernatural empowerment of God in our lives. The gifts mentioned in 1 Cor. chapters 12 and 14 all become accessible and utilizable when the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is introduced. The gifts are that power that is mentioned in Acts 1:8; the gifts are a supernatural manifestation of God's love in the earth THROUGH us TO others.

There are many Christians who are experiencing wonderful relationships with their Heavenly Father, they are saved (born-again) and fellowshipping with God everyday. Yet they seem to not have the same "supernatural" encounters, the same "power" or the degree of "umpphhh" that other Christians do. They need the power that comes with the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the rivers that flow and gush out of the innermost being.

You may be asking, "what does the Baptism in the Holy Spirit have to do with speaking in tongues?"

Good question, let's review:

Why Tongues?

Jesus said that "Out of the abundance, the mouth will speak" (Luke 6:45b). The heart's fullness demonstrates through the mouth's words. We find that when the disciples in all the Scriptural references listed below here were "filled" or "baptized" into the Holy Spirit, they began to speak with other tongues.

Scriptural references to speaking in Tongues when believers received the Baptism and general references:

1. Mark 16:15,16 - not a demonstration, but a promise by Jesus to His followers.
2. Acts 2:1-4
3. Acts 8:5-8, 12-17
4. Acts 9: 17 / read in conjunction with 1 Cor. 14:18 - Though Paul's Baptism experience doesn't record tongues, we know that He spoke in tongues because of this passage that he wrote in 1 Corinthians.
5. Acts 10: 45-46
6. Acts 19: 1-7

So, for this writing on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, it is vital to know that Speaking or Praying in Tongues is the initial sign of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. There are many other benefits to praying in tongues, for more information and a detailed listing of those benefits, please follow this link.

How do I Receive the Baptism?

First, be born-again. No one can receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit unless he/she has been washed in the Blood of Jesus and become a child of God. Therefore, ask Jesus to be your Savior.

Second, ask the Lord for the Baptism. Simply pray and ask the Lord for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Third, receive by faith. Don't stand there with your mouth closed, but begin to speak in tongues by faith. He will bubble up and out if you open up and receive. He will give you the utterance, but you have to speak.

If you want someone to pray with you to receive, don't hesitate to call us:

(404) 929.1400

You receive salvation for you. You receive The Baptism in order to more powerfully minister (supernaturally) to others. When you are born-again, you were made ready for Heaven. When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you receive a greater empowerment for here on the earth. Salvation quenched your spiritual thirst, now the Baptism will be that river that flows out and begins to affect the thirsty ones around you.

Ask the Father for the Holy Spirit, right now; then open your mouth and begin to speak the utterance that He begins to give you