Understanding the Biblical Pattern of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Experience the power of the Holy Spirit in your life and church by understanding the biblical pattern of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit and power is essential in the Body of Christ. We can't have the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and churches without the Holy Spirit. Sounds simple, but it's quite profound. Jesus gave His disciples the power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy.

There is no such thing as a New Testament apostolic church without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Have you noticed how many churches don't covet the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues? This lack of hunger is unusual because all New Testament churches found in the Bible were pioneered by Holy Spirit filled apostles.

Apostle Paul showed us a clear Biblical pattern for his founding of New Testament apostolic churches. When he traveled to Ephesus, he met certain disciples that had not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spake with tongues, and prophesied" (Acts 19:6). Paul knew the importance, even Christ’s mandate, of the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). We can't have the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and churches without the Holy Spirit. Sounds simple, but it's quite profound. 

The spiritual warfare that I have faced for 30 years has always been from the unholy trinity of religious spirits, witchcraft spirits, and Jezebel spirits. The religious spirit, for example, deals with form, heady things, and ritual. This spirit wants to change the way you see Jesus and His Church. It is legalistic, hypocritical, and self-righteous. (I wrote about this in my book The Spirit of Religion: The Unseen Thief.) This spirit will kick the Holy Spirit out of the local church and replace him with entertainment, celebrity Christianity, high-minded and heady teachings, religious humanism, and new age spirits. 

Some also see a move within prophetic circles that exchanges the ministry of the Holy Spirit with New Age mysticism. This switch is the result of these three spirits, religion, witchcraft, and Jezebel, working together that undermines and hijacks apostolic ministry and exchanges it for something very different. No apostles taught their people to look to prophetic mysticism. They taught them to look unto God as the author and finisher of their faith. I've heard it repeatedly said, "We need the prophetic." I believe true prophetic ministry is biblical, but we need to be careful because the devil will give you "the prophetic." What we need is the Holy Spirit. Let’s not exchange Him for dead religious form, witchcraft's mystical experiences or Jezebel's prophetic seductions. 

Speaking of the ministry of the Holy Spirit Jesus said, "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. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you" (John 16:13-15). {module Holy Spirit Led Value Kit }Religious spirits try to flow in Holy Spirit power (nine gifts of the Holy Spirit) when they don't have any. Remember the sons of Sceva? They attempted to cast out a demon in the name of Jesus. The demon responded saying, “Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you?” (Acts 19:13-16). We know the born-again believer has the right to use the mighty name of Jesus, but notice this demon would not obey. Jesus, it knew and Paul it knew. Using the name of Jesus is not enough. You must also be born again and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist was the last Old Testament prophet. I consider him a transitional prophet from the Old Testament order to the New Testament Apostolic order (Ephesians 4:11). He said that Jesus was the baptizer of the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11-13). In other words, the baptism of the Holy Spirit doesn’t come from man but Christ. The baptism in the Holy Spirit was vital for the ministry of the apostles, and it’s vital for you too.

Even Jesus needed the Holy Spirit. When he met John the Baptist at the River Jordan, the heavens opened, and God the Father spoke saying this is my son hear ye him. Then they saw the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, come upon Jesus. This event is scriptural evidence of the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

After Jesus' baptism, the Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness where he met Satan. I suspect this was the governing seat of Satan's authority. The Holy Spirit wasted no time. Jesus confronted Satan with the power of the Holy Spirit and the words, “It is written!" 

After leaving this spiritual wilderness, Jesus went to church. In this service, Jesus announced, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me" (Luke 4:18). Notice what was on Jesus, the Holy Spirit. If Jesus needed the anointing, so do we.

After the Holy Spirit came on Christ demons spoke saying,"Let us alone" (Luke 4:31-35). When was the last time you heard something like that in church? These demons were probably always in this church, but when the anointing showed up, they manifested and had to go. Only Holy Spirit power will do things like this. Again, you can’t have Holy Spirit power without the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit wasn’t just for Christ. When Jesus called His disciples, he gave them the power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). After His resurrection, he told them to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). They did, and on the day of Pentecost they were gathered in the Upper Room and the Holy Spirit came and sat upon each of them. "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). There should be no question speaking in other tongues is the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I know some will not agree. It doesn’t matter. If you are going to have a Holy Spirit ministry, then you have to be sure you follow the same biblical pattern presented by the apostles of Christ.

Peter also introduced the biblical model of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. When Peter ministered to the first Gentile Christians, the Holy Spirit fell on them that heard him speak. Scripture declares, "And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God" (Acts 10:45-46). Again, “they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.”

If we are going to be part of the influential New Testament Apostolic Church, then we must follow Christ and His apostles. The baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues belongs to you. Jesus is your baptizer. "He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Don't let the religious spirit kick the Holy Spirit out of your life and church.

Your partner,

(c) Apostle Jonas Clark
www.jonasclark.com