Dear Friend in Christ:

We are so glad that you are hungering and thirsting in for all God has for you.

We feel this booklet will show you that it is your privilege to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. If you have been saved and are seeking a deeper experience with God, then you are ready to receive this gift. As one writer said, “Salvation is God's gift to the sinner and the Holy Spirit is God's gift to the believer.”

God's Word promises that, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: For they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

We hope this book helps open up the Word of God to you and increases your understanding in such a way that you can reach out by faith and receive the precious Holy Spirit in its fulness.

May God richly bless you is our prayer.

Sincerely in Christ,

Jimmy and Joanne Thompson

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is a Person – the third person in the adorable Trinity* - sent by God to preserve the Church of Jesus Christ until the day of our Lord's return. The Holy Spirit did not come to replace Jesus but rather to be a constant witness and reminder to the world of who Jesus is and what He has done for mankind on the cross.

He is the part of the Trinity that God is using to work through believers today.

*By “Trinity” we mean God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. There is one God, but three manifestations. It took all three manifestations to complete God's outreach to mankind. “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.” Also “When the Spirit is come he will speak of me and he will lead you into all truth,” Jesus said.

The Holy Spirit declares, through us, that Jesus lives and is now at the right hand of God making intercession for us. The Holy Spirit testifies to God's power to heal, save and renew minds. He continues Jesus' ministry of Teacher, Comforter, Guide, Anointer.

He is the One spoken of by the Old Testament prophet, Joel – the fulfillment of God's promise to pour His Spirit out upon all people. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh... (Joel 2:28-29).

He is the One spoken of by John the Baptist. “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but the that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). Jesus is the Baptizer.

He is the One promised in Luke 24:29: “And behold, I send [Jesus is speaking] the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until you be endued with power from on high.”

He is the One who came, as promised, on the Day of Pentecost as the disciples waited in the Upper Room. “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 2:2-4).

He is the One who quickened Jesus back to life. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11).

Is the baptism in the Holy Spirit for everybody?

Yes. Peter wrote in Acts 2:39: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” That includes you. If you have been saved by the Blood of the Crucified One and have decided to totally commit your life to God, then, yes, the Holy Spirit is for you. “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues...” (Mark 16:17).

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).

Why do I need the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is the keeping force in the life of a Christian. He provides the strength, comfort, wisdom, and courage that it takes to truly die daily to self and follow God's laws. We just don't have what it takes within ourselves to become mature, useful servants of God. But, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can be useful vessels in His kingdom.

The Holy Spirit enables us to understand and comprehend God and His Word. “...No mere man has ever seen, heard or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord. But we know about these things because God has sent his Spirit to tell us, and his Spirit searches out and shows us all of God's deepest secrets. No one can really know what anyone else is thinking, or what he is really like, except that person himself. And no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit” (I Corinthians 2:9-11, LB).

The Holy Spirit enables us to establish right communication with God. He will bring Scriptures to your mind just at the very moment they are needed to build faith and uplift. It's like receiving a personal answer from God Himself. You will find your interest in the Word of God becomes a hunger for His Word.

Have you ever been so confused, burdened, hurt or afraid that you did not know how to pray? Have you just been unable to remember all you need to pray about? This is where the Holy Spirit can take over and pray to God through you and for you. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we out: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).

Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is not just a command of Jesus. It is a privilege because it gives us an extra dimension of power in prayer – the satisfaction of knowing that we have prayed “as we ought.” Our conscience is clear, and we are assured that we have not neglected anyone for whom we should have prayed.

Many times we feel we have left out someone or some need. But if we pray for all needs we know about and then allow the Spirit to continue to pray through us for the needs we may not know or may have forgotten, then we will have prayed “as we ought.” Some of my more intense praying is done in the Spirit.

How do I receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

As stated earlier, a person must be born again in Christ Jesus in order to move into the deeper experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. But not only that, a person must have purposed in his heart that he is ready to make a total and complete surrender to the Lord. A dying to self must take place. A total “giving” of oneself to God must occur, much like a giving of oneself in matrimony.

The same Spirit that calls us to repentance also baptizes. The same faith that enabled you to accept God's plan of salvation, enables you to receive His gift of the Holy Spirit. And like salvation, it is not something you have to beg for nor something that you earn or deserve. It is God's gift to the believer. A person receives the Spirit at the time of salvation but is not necessarily baptized in the Spirit at that time, although he can be.

Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is not the same as water baptism either. This is verified in Acts 1:5, “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”

Secondly, a person must be hungry for more of God. In wanting more of God, the believer must be wiling to give God more of himself. We will receive of God in proportion to that which we yield to Him. “...If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink...As the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive...) John 7:37-39).

Thirdly, the believer must ask God for the infilling of His Holy Spirit. As you ask, believe that you receive. Just pray this simple prayer aloud.

“Dear Heavenly Father, I believe Your Word and I believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit is for me. Please fill me right now with Your Holy Spirit. I believe and I receive by faith. Lord, I five You all of me. Please let Your Holy Spirit permeate every area of my life. As I lift my voice in praise and worship to You now, I yield even my voice and my tongue in total surrender and praise to You. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, I pray, and let me speak in other tongues as Your Spirit gives the utterances. In Jesus' name I pray and receive.”

After you have prayed, just continue in praise and worship to God. As the Holy Spirit begins to flow through you, you will want to speak aloud in praise and adoration to the Father. And as John states, it will seem like a “river of living water” surging through your being.

At this point it is important to forget about yourself and others. Lose yourself in praise to God. Your lips may begin to tremble and your praise may have a stammering sound. This is the power of the Holy Spirit as He gives you the utterance (or sounds). In obedience and faith continue praising aloud as the Holy Spirit provides the language. Don't be afraid or ashamed to speak out these sounds that the Spirit provides the language. Don't be afraid or ashamed to speak out these sounds that the Spirit gives you no matter how awkward they may seem to you.

How do I know I have been baptized in the Holy Spirit?

As the Bible states in Acts 2, the initial or first evidence will be that of speaking in a heavenly language, a tongue not known to you. Speaking in tongues provides proof to you and to others that this wonderful infilling has occurred. “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: For no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries” (I Corinthians 14:2).

And although tongues is the initial evidence, the main, ongoing evidence is the operation of the fruits of the Spirit in your life. This is the final and ultimate evidence of an infilling. Not even the gifts of the Spirit are final evidence. Only the fruits are final proof of a total infilling of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit in you means joy in sorrow; peace in chaos; understanding and knowledge in the midst of confusion and ignorance. It is not a one-time emotional experience nor an ongoing emotional high. It is a daily dying to self and surrendering to God.

It is communicating with God in worship and in reading His Word. It is compassion and love for others. It is self-less-ness.

Why tongues?

James 3:8 states: “But the tongue can no man tame, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” The tongue is the most unruly part of us. This is why we must yield our tongues to God's control. If God controls your tongue, He controls your mind. If He controls your mind, He controls you. Speaking in tongues symbolizes a restoration of communication with God. Through the language of the Spirit, we can be in instant communication with the Father. “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God....He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself...” (I Corinthians 14:2, 4). The infilling of the Holy Spirit makes the believer a channel through which the power of God can flow. The Holy Spirit plugs us in, so to speak, to the Main Power Source.

What is this power for?

Power to witness. The baptism in the Holy Spirit gives us power to witness of Christ by the words we say and the way we live.

Power to worship. The Holy Spirit enables us to pray and worship in a manner holy and acceptable to God. Worshipping “under the influence” of the Spirit is a powerful witness to the unsaved. How many times have we seen souls won to Christ as they sat in the presence of those worshipping in the Spirit! In Spirit-led worship, God can minister.

Power for miracles. The day of miracles is not passed. In this ministry, we see miracles every day – healings, deliverances, financial miracles. Miracles are another way the Holy Spirit witnesses to unbelievers of the power and majesty of God.

Power to understand. Through the infilling of the Spirit, the believer can gain an insight into the laws and ways of God. We begin to understand eternal truths. God's ways actually begin to make sense. Like pieces of a puzzle falling into place, the Holy Spirit will grant us supernatural understanding as we open our hearts and search for the truth.

Power to break bad habits and hindrances. Whatever has held you back from fully moving into total surrender to God, the Holy Spirit can break the bonds. Is it smoking, drinking, self-pity, greediness, false humility (I am not worthy of God's gifts)? However Satan has you bound, God can set you free through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Power over sorrow and fear. “Why is he taking this so calmly?” friends ask. “How can you be so calm in the face of this financial crisis or such personal loss?” One of the main functions of the Holy Spirit is that of Comforter. As Comforter, He will fill our lives with peace that passes all understanding so that even in the face of apparent tragedy and loss, we can say, “All is well with my soul.”

Power to serve. “Now,” some will say at this point, “I don't know about serving. I sure would like to have all that other power you mentioned, but I'm not sure about this serving business.”

Too often this function of the Spirit is never mentioned. The idea of serving is just not as glorious as shouting, speaking in

tongues, dancing in the Spirit or seeing miracles. But the true, Spirit-filled believer will serve others in the Body of Christ and out of the Body of Christ. Service was a part of Jesus' ministry while He was on earth and so must it be a part of ours.

The Spirit-filled believer, the one that is truly filled, will overflow with love and compassion for others. His greatest joy will come from service to his fellowman. You might actually overhear him asking his pastor, “How can I help you?” Genuine Spirit-filled living puts the rights of others – the souls of others – first.

The Spirit-filled believer loves the soul of his fellowman so much that he will do nothing to hinder him reaching heaven – even if it means not “getting his own way.” In the genuine Spirit-filled life it won't be my way or even our way – it will be God's way.

What next?

A person who is filled with the Holy Spirit will find that all of the fruits of the Spirit and often many of the gifts of the Spirit will be operative in his life if he remains yielded and totally committed to Christ. To go into these areas would require a whole additional study, but these Scriptures will provide insight – I Corinthians 12:4, 28; Galatians 5:22-23.

It does not matter how much you speak in tongues. What is important is that you are rooted and grounded in the Word of God and that you apply its principles and precepts to every single thing you say and do.

The Word must be operative in you and a part of you before the gifts and fruits of the Spirit can fully be manifested in your life. You will never be a truly useful vessel for God until your knowledge of His Word so fills you that it becomes “the way” you live. Unless you live God's Word, your Christian life will be inconsistent and your witness will therefore be ineffective.

This experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit should not diminish with time, but rather should intensify. And it will, as you remain committed and live by the Word. We receive from God as we yield to Him.

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