How people respond to Spirit baptism today is very similar to 2,000 years ago in the book of Acts:
When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken … Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” — Acts 2:6, 12-13
Some are amazed, some are perplexed, and some make fun of it. You’ll have to decide which response you will choose.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift that brings the power of God Himself into your assignments. It’s not a “spiritual merit badge” nor a stamp of achievement or accomplishment—it’s an expression of the grace of God. I believe Spirit baptism is available to every believer, from the newest to the most seasoned.
If you want to know more about Spirit baptism and how to receive it, here are two recent sermons where I explain it more fully:
Spiritual Things — Spirit Baptism
Spiritual Things — Rivers of Living Water
What is in front of us will require our full intellect, our efforts, and our resources—but we are also going to need to be empowered by the Spirit of God. If you’ve never thought about or understood Spirit baptism, I invite you to open your heart and your mind to consider what Scripture says.
Let’s tell the Lord, “I want to open my life to you, and I want everything you have for me, with no preconditions. Holy Spirit, reveal Yourself to me in new ways, and help me to follow You without reservation. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
— Pastor Allen Jackson