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I’ve been sharing that the baptism in the Holy Spirit was a real, distinct event in Scripture, and that it is current and valid for every believer—like YOU. Jesus told the disciples to wait, until they were clothed with power from on high. Lu 24:49. Wait—because there was more in store than God’s promised Spirit of Adoption and being grafted into His family as a son of Abraham. Yes! God wanted His Church equipped in POWER – Dunamis – explosive POWER!
This ‘power from on high’ fell on the day of Pentecost. He, the Holy Spirit, is here; we do not need to tarry as they did. In Acts 8 we see half-breeds, mongrels, semi-Jews included as Peter and John went to Samaria to ensure that the new believers there got the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That’s how important it is, dear friends!
But God’s plan for His family includes even more Spirit empowered people! Those totally outside the Covenant! That revelation begins in Acts 10, with the Roman Centurion Cornelius, his family and close friends. There’s tons of material in Acts 10, but keeping on our point, Cornelius is told by an angel in a vision to call for Peter who is in Joppa. Peter was staying with a Jewish tanner. Tanners were unclean due to the tanning process. Yet there was Peter…. While there, Peter has a vision of a sheet filled with all sorts of unclean beasts, and Peter hears the words, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”
Peter goes with Cornelius’ servants to Cornelius’ home, begins sharing the gospel, and BOOM! the Holy Spirit falls and those GENTILES – those unclean beasts – the unholy – the common – the non-covenant people—begin speaking in tongues and glorifying God. It was astonishing! Magnificent! It was GOD, declaring heaven’s doors are open wide to WHOSOEVER—in an undeniable fashion! Ha! Peter gets called on the carpet back in Jerusalem. His defense: who can deny inclusion to “those who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did.” This issue is a big one however.
In Acts 15 a council is convened in Jerusalem because the devout Jewish Christians had trouble grasping this incredible truth: God is not a respecter of persons—but ANYONE, anywhere, who believes in Him is welcome. Peter settles things by referring to the Cornelius incident.
Dear friend, if you have been on the fence: believe, receive Jesus as Savior. If you have been on the fence regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I invite you to come off that fence and be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Don’t you see, GOD is inviting YOU today – to Come Alive!
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