("The world's best kept secret")
Now it's your turn!
Marvel of marvels, and miracles of miracles. You can receive the same power as the original disciples as described in the previous chapters! Jesus called it "the promise of the Father."
"Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you..." (Luke 24:49, KJV).
Remember, the apostle Peter said:
"The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off¾for all whom the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:39).
(As did Jesus in Acts chapters 1 and 2, and as used in the remainder of the book of Acts, I often synonymously use the terms "baptism with the Holy Spirit," "filled with the Spirit," and the Holy Spirit coming "on" or "upon" people.)
Jesus also said, "But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (Acts 24:49, KJV). Tarry means to wait, and in the past some have believed that one must "tarry" or wait at the altar of their church, for minutes or hours, before they can receive the power. But this is not what Jesus meant. While they did not understand it at the time, He intended for the disciples to wait until the appointed prophetic time, the day of Pentecost ten days later, when the Holy Spirit would come and fill them. From the previous chapter, you can note that "tarrying" was not required in the other instances given when the Holy Spirit's power came "upon" people.
I have heard of people who have tarried, hungered, and begged for hours at the altar and never did get filled with the Spirit. Sadly, they just did not know the Scriptures. That is not God's will, which I will show you.
Mike desperately wanted the baptism with the Holy Spirit. He met the prerequisites below and prayed several times at the altar at church and he prayed at home, but nothing ever happened. He kept thinking that he had not tarried long enough. He even began to think that God did not want him to be filled with the Spirit, or maybe even that God did not like him, all ideas being totally contrary to Scripture and absurd. The devil tries to put all kinds of negative thoughts in our heads to rob us of God's blessings and negate our effectiveness for Him. But when Mike discovered the biblical truth described below, he asked for and immediately received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. You can too - right now!
Prerequisites. What are the prerequisites to receiving the Holy Spirit's power?
The number one requirement to receive the power is that one must be a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Some people are not accustomed to and are turned off by the phrase "born again," thinking it is only terminology from the modern evangelical movement. Not so. It is an ancient biblical term taken from Jesus' own words. When approached by a religious leader, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" (John 3:3). Jesus' own use of the phrase forever stamps it as theologically proper, whether or not it fits one’s denominational tradition.
The phrase is full of meaning, synonymous with being "saved" (saved from an eternity without God), because when one places his faith and commitment in Jesus Christ, the Bible says that we become a new person and a dwelling place for God Himself. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our spirits, which were dead, have become alive to God, or born again. We are saved from eventual perishing, God's wrath to come, and are given the gift of eternal life.
If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and been born again, stop reading now and immediately turn to Appendix 3, then come back to this page later. Right now, the Holy Spirit is "with" you, prompting and urging you. But He must first be "in" you before you can have the "upon" experience of the baptism with the Holy Spirit!
Second, once you are a born-again believer
in Jesus Christ, you must want Him not just as a fire insurance policy
to escape hell, but you must want to serve Him and be His vessel and instrument
in this world. The primary purpose of the power is to serve Him.
You must desire to yield to Him and His will for your life.
Third, remember the Holy Spirit is "holy." He is pure and perfect,
free from all sin and vileness. While you will never make human
perfection in this life (only Jesus did that), you should not ask God
to fill you with His Holy Spirit if you are consciously holding on to
any particular sin or sins. For example, do not take this step if
you are a habitual and unrepentant thief or one who practices immorality.
Pray now, and ask God to show you what may be displeasing to Him in your
life. If He shows you anything, confess it and sincerely turn from
it (the meaning of repent) according to 1 John 1:9:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.