This baptism in the Holy Spirit is a subsequent event to the Holy Spirit residing in us at our new birth, the experiencing of redemption.  The Holy Spirit comes in by faith as we accept Jesus’ finished work for the salvation of our souls, for our reconciliation back to God.  The Holy Spirit comes and lives within us and we are baptized into the body of Christ (Hallelujah.), one with Him.  But subsequent to that, is this promise of the Father, the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy.  Acts, Chapter 2 tells us, “This is that which was prophesied by the prophet Joel,” an empowering.  “He’s going to come,” the Scripture says, “and by revelation, by dreams, by visions and primarily by the revelation of the Word of God, will enlighten us and enable us to walk victoriously in these last days.”  So here we are, the church, 2000 years now.  Don’t think for a moment that the Pentecostal movement began in the twentieth century.  It began on the day of Pentecost and has never subsided; amen?  As we saw in the book of Acts in that second chapter, this gift was to perpetuate itself generationally.  “It was to you, it will be to your children, to your children’s children and to all that are afar off,” the Bible says.  We’re a continuation, the book of Acts has never ceased.  The book of Acts is still being written.  This history of the church is ongoing (Amen?) until we be taken out of the way, here, very shortly.

So, one thing is very evident.  We’re to be a church with power.  We’re to be a church that has signs and wonders following the Word that we’re preaching, this great message of redemption, this great message of the empowering of the Holy Spirit.  “These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name,” and it’s lacking today.  Some people, and tragically, to a greater percentage than ever before, I think, people becoming guilty of the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost.  I don’t want to go down that trail right at this moment, but blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the only sin that cannot be forgiven.  Now think about that.  Why such a consequence?  How is it that this blasphemous act would cause a person to come to the place where they can never be reconciled?  Who is it that does the drawing; amen?  Who is it?  No man can come unless the Father draws them by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Once you’ve attributed the supernatural acts of God, not only the signs and wonders, but the capacity of being that agent that draws, and attributes those to satanic work, there is no other hope.  There is no reconciling of those men who have come to that place. 

People who have been enlightened, now, with the Scriptures, and still attributing signs, wonders, tongues, miracles to the devil are treading on that place of blaspheming the Holy Ghost.  What a danger.  What a danger people find themselves in.  How careful we need to be to go as far the other way as possible to line up with Scripture, to desire spiritual gifts.  This is what we’ve been trying to stir up in these last couple of weeks.  Not an acceptance that it’s doctrinally correct, but a passion on each and every heart that’s here this morning to want the fullness of God operating in our lives.  Why would we live without this gift that’s so freely offered through the blood of Jesus Christ and admonished of the necessity of it to contribute to our standing in this last hour?  We need the fullness.  We’re going to talk about the gifts of the Spirit in a moment.  We need the fullness of the Holy Spirit more than ever to enable us to stand victoriously in this last hour.