Welcome to Hank’s Place
Is the baptism in the Holy Spirit for you? Of course! Trying to make it as a Christian in this life without the supernatural help of God, is well, not only a struggle, but unnecessary.
What might that supernatural help look like? Let me share with you a little recollection from the 1970’s. The Charismatic Movement was ongoing. My wife and I were born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit in a little Baptist church in Oakmont PA near Pittsburgh. You heard me, a Baptist church!
Inside were Baptists – baptized in the Holy Spirit. Roman Catholics who wanted more of the Spirit. Protestants who wanted life in the Spirit. All sorts of folk!
A Scripture come to mind about that time: Ro 14:17 “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” God’s kingdom is not rule keeping; it’s being right with God through His gift of righteousness, it’s peace with God and one another through the blood of Jesus. It’s joy in rejoicing in the love of God toward us.
People in that little church were joyous! They were looking to Jesus! Smiles everywhere! Hugs! Love! Acceptance! Forgiveness. Each one encouraging another. Sharing the love of God. Folks testifying of God’s working in their lives—each week. A person, or several, might give a prophecy. There was singing in the spirit with perhaps angelic choruses were joining in. Who cared about the time? There was such a sense of the presence of the Living God in our midst that it was difficult to leave!
Salvations? Baptisms? All-the-time! Healings and miraculous healings everywhere. And demons were being cast out as the oppressed were delivered. There was freedom in Christ!
You had no doubt God was alive and well when He spoke to you personally. When He gave you spiritual gifts to help others, like a word of knowledge or wisdom or prophecy. Or gifts of healing, or miracles. Those who resisted and ridiculed the Spirit’s working publicly one week might be found worshiping God next to you the following Sunday. Incredible! Such a sense of the Holy Spirit about to do something GOOD.
And I share this with you because I truly believe we are entering such a time once again; a time when, by the power of the Holy Spirit, multitudes will— COME ALIVE!
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