By Dr. Elias Malki - excerpt from You and the Holy Spirit
And Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a command of Jesus to his followers. It is not an option but a must. In Acts 1:4 Jesus commanded the disciples that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father. He said: “For John baptized you with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” John said: “He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
Jesus is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit; the candidate is the believer who has already received the Holy Spirit in conversion according to John 20:22 "And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said unto them, receive thee the Holy Spirit.” The baptism of the Holy Spirit gives power to the believer “But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be my witnesses.” Acts 1:8
For three and a half years the disciples walked with Jesus and saw the miracles. Jesus sent them out two by two to minister in the cities he would soon visit. The Holy Spirit went with them. They cast out dev- ils in Jesus’ name. When they returned they said: “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name.” Luke 10:17. They had the Holy Spirit with them, but he was not yet in them. They were not yet born again of the Spirit. The Baptism of man’s spirit is conversion. John 7:37-39: ‘On the last day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying: “if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that be- lieveth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” He spoke of the Holy Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.’ They received the Holy Spirit, and they understood the power of sins forgiven.
In the baptism of the Holy Spirit according to Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “He (the Holy Spirit), will come upon you.’ So, before you are a Christian he is with you. When you are born again he is in you. In the Baptism of the Holy Spirit he is upon you. The agent here is Jesus. The candidate is the born again Christian who has the Holy Spirit already in him or her. The area that is baptized is your soul. So, Jesus the baptizer in the Holy Spirit and fire causes the Holy Spirit who is already in you, as a well of springing water, to be ex- posed to fire. The fire under the water will explode and become rivers according to John 7:37-39:
In conversion the Holy Spirit comes in you, and in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit he comes out of your belly, upon you. It is just like taking a pot of water and putting it on the stove, and when you light the fire under it, the water boils and makes steam. Steam moves engines. “You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” Acts 1:8
On the first Easter Sunday the Holy Spirit came into Peter and he was born again. But, he went back to his old job, catching fish. But Jesus called him to be a fisher of men. So, after the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon peter in the baptism, we never hear about Peter going back to catch fish again. His sermon on the day of Pentecost caught three thousand men! He was till the same Peter, but his soul, mind, will and emotions were baptized in the Holy Spirit. Doubt was replaced with faith in his mind instead of fear in his emotion. He had perfect love; he had boldness instead of being crippled in his will. That is what the baptism of the Holy Spirit will do. It will make you a powerhouse to declare the truth and not be afraid to pay the price for that truth.
And Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a command of Jesus to his followers. It is not an option but a must. In Acts 1:4 Jesus commanded the disciples that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father. He said: “For John baptized you with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” John said: “He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
Jesus is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit; the candidate is the believer who has already received the Holy Spirit in conversion according to John 20:22 "And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said unto them, receive thee the Holy Spirit.” The baptism of the Holy Spirit gives power to the believer “But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be my witnesses.” Acts 1:8
For three and a half years the disciples walked with Jesus and saw the miracles. Jesus sent them out two by two to minister in the cities he would soon visit. The Holy Spirit went with them. They cast out dev- ils in Jesus’ name. When they returned they said: “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name.” Luke 10:17. They had the Holy Spirit with them, but he was not yet in them. They were not yet born again of the Spirit. The Baptism of man’s spirit is conversion. John 7:37-39: ‘On the last day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying: “if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that be- lieveth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” He spoke of the Holy Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.’ They received the Holy Spirit, and they understood the power of sins forgiven.
In the baptism of the Holy Spirit according to Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “He (the Holy Spirit), will come upon you.’ So, before you are a Christian he is with you. When you are born again he is in you. In the Baptism of the Holy Spirit he is upon you. The agent here is Jesus. The candidate is the born again Christian who has the Holy Spirit already in him or her. The area that is baptized is your soul. So, Jesus the baptizer in the Holy Spirit and fire causes the Holy Spirit who is already in you, as a well of springing water, to be ex- posed to fire. The fire under the water will explode and become rivers according to John 7:37-39:
In conversion the Holy Spirit comes in you, and in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit he comes out of your belly, upon you. It is just like taking a pot of water and putting it on the stove, and when you light the fire under it, the water boils and makes steam. Steam moves engines. “You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” Acts 1:8
On the first Easter Sunday the Holy Spirit came into Peter and he was born again. But, he went back to his old job, catching fish. But Jesus called him to be a fisher of men. So, after the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon peter in the baptism, we never hear about Peter going back to catch fish again. His sermon on the day of Pentecost caught three thousand men! He was till the same Peter, but his soul, mind, will and emotions were baptized in the Holy Spirit. Doubt was replaced with faith in his mind instead of fear in his emotion. He had perfect love; he had boldness instead of being crippled in his will. That is what the baptism of the Holy Spirit will do. It will make you a powerhouse to declare the truth and not be afraid to pay the price for that truth.
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