Filled with Power from Heaven
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matthew 3:11 (NKJV)
Dear Friend,
When a groom and a bride say “I do” at the wedding altar, that’s just the beginning of a beautiful covenant. There will be so much more that they discover about one another over the years to come. Greg and I have been married for almost five years now, and we're still learning things about each other! Marriage gets sweeter and sweeter by the day.
Just as marriage is more than “I do”, so is salvation more than “I believe.” There’s more of God to discover—no matter how long you’ve been a Christian.
I've been a Christian since a young girl, and we attended church regularly, but there were a lot of things I didn’t know about God. One of the things I never learned or heard about was the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I’m so grateful that eventually, I learned and discovered the truth. What could've been different if I would've learned this as a young girl?
Once you receive salvation, the Bible instructs you to get water baptized, and then to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, 19:1-6). The Bible makes it clear that this is a separate experience from making Jesus your Lord.
Before I received the Holy Spirit baptism, I was stuck in my old identities—drug addict, failure, crazy, depressed, unstable, poor—and as a result, my life was stuck in neutral. I wasn’t growing or experiencing the fullness of God’s promises in my life.
When I found out that there was more of God to experience, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I ran to the cross to receive this. My life has never been the same.
I knew from the inside out that I was different.
I knew that I wasn’t a drug addict anymore.
I knew that God set me free.
I could finally read the Bible and was quickened with revelation knowledge and spiritual discernment. I could read the Bible and understand how to apply it to my life. I was able to talk to God and understand how He was leading me. A close, personal, intimate relationship with God was finally a part of my life, and I was never going to look back.
That was over ten years ago, and it just keeps getting better. I keep experiencing more of God and His goodness. I continue to learn more about Him, just like my husband Greg, and it’s so good.
My friend, let’s not allow past experiences, wrong teachings, or religion to get in the way of what the Bible says. I don’t want to get to the end of my life, stand face to face with God, and realize that there was so much I missed out on in the earth. God will hold us accountable for what we knew on the earth, and what we did with it (Mk. 4:24, Lu. 8:18, 1 Tim. 4:1). Let's use what we know and make the most of it to change the world.
THERE'S MORE OF GOD TO RECEIVE
Jesus told the disciples (people who already believed in Him) to wait—don’t step into your calling—until you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” Luke 24:49 (NLT)
He was saying, you need the power of God to do what I’ve called you to do!
This is true for any of us as believers.
There is more of God’s goodness, power, and ability to experience in your life, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit is how you receive it.
Holy Spirit’s job is to help you, comfort you, lead you into all truth, and fill your life with power!
Holy Spirit, your Helper: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17 (NKJV)
Holy Spirit, your Comforter: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26 (KJV)
Holy Spirit, your Teacher: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” John 16:13 (KJV)
Holy Spirit, your Power: “…Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:4, 5, 8 (NLT)
GOD'S POWER IN YOUR LIFE
Throughout the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), you see how the disciples were very human, just like you and me. They missed the mark time and time again. Once they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, they were changed. In Peter’s first message preaching the gospel, you instantly see the difference, and 3,000 people were saved (Acts. 2:14-41). They were filled with power from heaven, and their lives touched the nations. People were healed, saved, and set free everywhere they went with the good news of the gospel. It wasn’t because of their great might or ability—it was the power of the Holy Spirit working in them and through them.
Are you ready to be filled with power from heaven? You can receive right now, and your life will never be the same. Pray this prayer with me.
“Father, I surrender to you completely. I ask you to baptize me with your Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Thank you for filling me with the power that enables me to live the victorious Christian life. By faith I receive it now in Jesus’ name.”
Congratulations! I encourage you to welcome this new part of your life with open arms and rejoicing! Give Him thanks for all that He’s done for you and all that He’s going to continue to do for you! I encourage you to open your mouth and speak in tongues immediately. This is a gift that God has given us as believers. It will truly help you, edify you, and give you the wisdom of God that you need to live the victorious Christian life. We will talk about tongues more in an upcoming Bible study, but here’s some scriptures you can reference until then: Mk. 16:17; Acts 2:4, 10:44-46, 19:6; 1 Cor. 14:2, 4; Rom. 8:26; Jude 1:20.
I encourage you to pray in tongues daily, so that you’re receiving supernatural help from God.
Continue to ask Holy Spirit to help you in your day-to-day life, and rely on Him for everything you need. I’m rejoicing with you as you step into your new life!
KEEP GROWING
To continue to grow with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to be your Helper, Comforter, Teacher, and Power, make a daily habit of these three things:
Spend time with God, be quiet and listen to His guidance
Praise Him and thank Him always
Read the Bible and apply it to your life as God leads you
These three things have transformed my relationship with God, and as a result, He’s transformed every area of my life.
Get ready to keep growing with God, and experience the fullness of His power, love, and promises in your life.
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Next week, we’ll discuss chapter 4 in my book, “Hello, New You!” which is all about the power of the Word. Join us live on YouTube at 5:30PM MT. I hope to see you there!
Love,
Erin
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