Spirit Filled | Elder Peng Hoe

You're listening to a message to go from X Church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

Twelve plus one pour values. Maybe a little bit of

a background. How did these core values come about? So

I also have the book, of course, you can read it. Okay,

the front part of it has got a bit of explanation. Okay, Yeah,

the roles reminded me write your name on the booklet. Okay,

don't leave it behind. Okay, this is your booklet. It's

for you to take notes, it's for you to it's

for all of us to learn together as well.

But these core values, again.

Is not something that was just blindly developed by ourselves.

It was really us realizing.

And I've heard this mentioned quite a few times whenever

pastor candd is asked why did we choose the name

X church X Church? And of course he will tell you,

very very frankly, and very very simply, it was because

we were all this one and always inspired by the

church in the Book of X. The church in the

Book of X is in a way the original church.

It was God's church. It was a church where only

God's fingerprint was on it. And so there is so

much that we can actually glean from when we read

the Book of X. The Book of X, of course,

it's only twenty eight chapters. And so since all of

you all are part of X Church, if there is

one book that you have not read and you want to, okay,

I want to make myself read one book in the

Bible first, why not start with the Book of X.

It's okay, go ahead, start with the Book of X,

because we are going to be going through the next

thirteen weeks and you will realize that every one of

these values that we're going to be talking about is

actually from the Book of X, mainly from chapter one

and chapter two.

You already see most of it.

And so earlier this year we went through four or

five or.

Is it six weeks?

I think about six weeks of unpacking the vision of actions.

You'll remember there was also a booklet which I hope

you still have it, an orange color booklet, and that

was really introducing and reminding for most of us also

the church about the vision that God has placed here

in ext church. And so the vision that we have

received from God is of course from Habako chapter two,

verse fourteen, if I recall correctly, and of course is

to one to see the glory of God spread across

all throughout this world. That is the vision that we have.

And so the vision gives us where we are hated towards.

Vision always gives us a destination. That's why it's so

important for any organization, for any movement, for any person

to act, have a vision in life, because at least

you know where I am going. And as a church

Hubakuk two fourteen is the vision that God has given

to us. And so with that we also talk about

the mission that God has given to ex Chich. So

not only do we know where we are going, but

the mission, the mission of course is to go and

make disciples. Okay, making disciples that make a difference. That

is the mission that has been given. And with that

we all know what we need to do as a church,

go and make disciples.

And that's worry.

Discipleship is such a big things, such an important thing

in the life of any church, not just ex church.

But we want to emphasize and re emphasize on this.

I know sometimes in today's day and age, when we

talk about discipleship is not always something that we are like, yay.

Let's do this discipleship. Huh.

What does that mean, what does that entail, what does

that require? And so we want to continue teaching and

talking about it and not just we can't just teach theoretically.

You will realize that in CTS we try our best

to connect, We try our best to raise people up.

We try our best to make sure that every person

who comes is actually part of a smaller group where

there are people who are caring and watching out for you.

Discipleship becomes key. It's very very important. It's the mission

that has been given to us. So not only do

we know where we are hated to, we also know

what we are supposed to do as we move along.

Very very important, very very important. But you see, we

need fuel to get to where we are going and

to do what we are supposed to do. So how

Bastard has helped us to understand these core values. These

core values are like feel okay, thing of patrol, whatever,

put into a vehicle that will power us towards where

we are supposed to hate, towards doing what we are

supposed to do. And these thirteen values that you will

see are all taken and all evident from the very

very first original church that you see in the Book

of X, especially in chapter two that was, of course

when we read the Holy Spirit came. Peter preached a wonderful,

amazing message, his first message in his pastoral and apostolic office.

And not only the wonderful things happen, the spirit of

God came upon all of them, which I'm going to

be bringing us through scriptures shortly. And then we know

three thousand was saved that day. And we know that

these three thousand were technically technically discipled by the one

hundred and twenty who were in the Upper Room, who

received the power of the Holy Spirit upon their lives.

And so you can see back then, no, it's a

ratio of one hundred and twenty to three thousand, all

done really supernaturally by God's power and God's strength. And

you see how discipleship took place, because after Bitter's message,

after three thousand was safe, no, you read that, they

started gathering together. They started coming together, they started sharing

teaching the world, they started selling their possessions, they started

sharing with one another.

All those things they.

Did that helped them eventually achieve and fulfill their purpose

as God's Church. And so this is the Book of X.

This is where I want us to realize and want

us to continue reading so that we know where these

twelve values come from. Okay, it's not values that are

derived from our merely our human understanding. It's really going

back to the Book of x and realizing that right

from the very beginning, it was the fingerprint of God

that was upon the church in x Amen. Okay, the

first value that I'm going to be bringing us through today,

and as I read, Okay, you can look at some

of the questions.

There are some points to fill up.

Okay, there's some points to fill up, So maybe the

first page what is it?

Okay? The key points is the fuel. Okay.

The twelve plus one core values are the fuel for

the mission of making disciples that make the difference. And

we are making disciples that make the difference because one

day our ultimate vision is so that everyone will glorify

God's name. That means, as far as your eyes can

see every inch of this earth and every inch of

this ocean, all the waters, and all the land in

this place that we call planet Earth, we will glorify

God's name. That's what we want to do ultimately. Amen,

Where does it come from the source? Well, it comes

from the early vibrant church X church, not our ex church,

but the church in the Book of X. And that's

where we get our inspiration from as well, the one

that only had God's fingerprint on it. That's why it's

very important that we also don't compare ourselves with other

churches because throughout the centuries, again good intentions in all

men and different believers of the past who were leading churches.

But you know, we tend to sometimes put our fingerprint,

our emphasis on the church. And that's why you get

multiple denominations. People always ask me why there's so many denominations. Well,

because as the church grew and develop and progress, we

also put our fingerprint on it. There's certain emphasis on

certain things. No, we preach more on certain So it happens.

It happens. But I will always say, whatever it is,

let's go back to the original. Let's go back and

have us our main reference the church that only had

God's fingerprint on it, and that is the church in

the Book of Acts.

Okay. And so.

That's to answer your second question. In case you need

an answer, I know it's how you're like, give me

the answer so that I can feel it in I'm

going to go very quickly just the first page.

What is it for?

Well, values are there to help us stand firm, help

us to be strong, especially in times that are challenging,

and we will all go through different challenges in life.

Values are there to guide us. That's why another word

for values sometimes is principles. Guiding principles it helps us,

helps us to live our lives in accordance to how

God wants it to be. And so very very very

important for us to know what the values of our

church is so that we continue to move together as

a family. Okay, what should we watch out for? Well,

I will always say this, please, please, please please. Whatever

it is I may be sharing the next thirteen weeks,

different ones to be sharing.

You will hear different ways of earth sharing.

You will also hear different experiences shared.

Whatever it is.

Don't even take my teaching, don't even take what I

have to say, don't even take my experiences as the

main source. The main source of our understanding must always

come from the Word of God.

Amen, the Word of God.

That means it is our responsibility to read God's word.

What I hope to do today is to direct us

back to the word of God, so that we will

read it and you will allow God's word to convince you.

Because no amount of convincing I can do here on

the stage to tell you about what is important and

what is not important, it doesn't count. Everything goes back

to God's word. And so that is our ultimate source.

Amen.

And so church, we cannot call ourselves followers of Christ,

but yet we don't read God's instructions to us. It

is imperative, it is essential, it is what gives us life.

We need to go to God's word. We need to

read his word.

And so don't just take what I am to say,

because again I'm human, I can make mistakes. I pray

that you will read God's word first and foremost, and

then allow God's word to convince you of what is right. Okay,

let's start. Let's start with this, and I may go

fast because I'm going to talk not just about scriptures.

I'm not just going to teach the scriptures. I'm most

going to help us see how things have been developing

throughout the centuries. A little bit maybe a little bit

of church history, but I won't delve too much into it.

But I think it's important.

To help us see where we are at today and

how do we get to this place and why is it?

Sometimes some people are all for it, some people are

I'm going to sound these values.

I've got some reservations. Okay.

We are starting off with the first core value, and

it's called spirit feel This is probably one of the

most controversial topics when it comes to spirit field. We

can talk about it as baptism of the Holy Spirit,

we can talk about it about as a church that

is full of the Holy Spirit. What does it mean? Okay,

so let's get this straight. The heart behind this value

is this. People say, when you read the Book of Acts,

it's called I think in most of our Bibles is

just called Acts of the Apostles.

Okay, but actually, if you read it.

From cover to cover, from chapter one to chapter twenty eight,

you realize it's actually ecxs of the Apostles through the

Holy Spirit. Because nothing that the Apostles did was out

of their own strength understanding knowledge. You realize as you

read the Book of Acts, everything that they did was

because the Holy Spirit was not just with them, the

Holy Spirit.

Was in them.

That's a big difference the early disciples. Okay, the disciples

who walk together with Jesus. They had the Holy Spirit

with them. Also, a lot of us can have the

Holy Spirit with us, and the Holy Spirit with us

walks alongside us, guides us, convicts our hearts. But you

see there's a difference between Jesus disciples walking.

With the Holy Spirit.

And then thereafter Jesus gave some very explicit commands, telling

his people that I have to go. When I go,

you wait, chill for a short while until the Spirit

of God comes upon you, and then you will realize

that from then on, it's not so much spirit with them,

is actually Spirit in them.

So we need to.

Understand some of these distinctions, very very important. But I

always look at X as one of the most practical

books in the Bible because it gives us really again,

like I mentioned just now, the Early Church.

How did the early Church.

Look like where the fingerprint of God was so evident

and it was not merely just the apostles acting on

their own, But you will realize that it's the Holy

Spirit that's guiding them every step of the way.

Amen.

The next value that we will learn and we will

talk about.

Next week, it's called Christ.

Centered, Okay, And I want to just make some comments

here for a show because a lot of people always

ask a why we don't start with Christ centered first? Uh,

you know, Jesus at the center of it all. And

today you will realize that there are many churches that

claim to be Christ centered, yet do not have the

Holy Spirit. And the honest truth is we would not

have the fullness of Christ without the Holy Spirit. And

I'm talking about the Holy Spirit, not just how we

understand it to be about what Scripture says about the

Holy Spirit, because if you read the scriptures carefully, you

realize that the description in the scriptures about the Holy

Spirit can be very, very different from our human understanding

of how the Holy Spirit functions. And as I go

through some of these things, I hope you will see it.

So I think it's so important. It's so important because

a lot of times we don't have the Spirit of

God with us living in us. And I think that

is why we start with Spirit feeled instead of Christ centered,

because you see, the Holy Spirit is not an optional,

It's not an additional. We always think that or if

you have this Holy Spirit, then you have a bit

of a top up, or you can have the option

of not really following the Holy Spirit so much as

long as Jesus is the center of it all. I

want us to know that the Holy Spirit cannot be

an option in the church. It cannot be just someone

that I choose to ignore and think that, Okay, he's there,

it's okay. I just keep my eyes focused on Jesus,

the pioneer and the perfector of my faith. And then

we don't realize that who we have with us in

the God here today is the Holy Spirit.

So it is so.

Important, so essential, because I tell you what, if the

Holy Spirit is not an option, if the Holy Spirit

is an imperative, it's if the Holy Spirit is essentially

in our lives. The Holy Spirit will always lead us

back to Jesus. The Holy Spirit will always point us

back to Christ's teaching. The Holy Spirit will always empower

us to obey what Christ has commanded. Do you realize

that that is the function and that is the role

of the Holy Spirit. Okay, let me give you another perspective.

I give you another perspective. You see, a lot of

preaching and teaching about Jesus has always been focused on

his role as our Lord and Savior, or as our

master and our friend.

We love that.

How often do you hear of the role of Jesus

being taught as the baptizer.

Anyone?

Very rarely we heard the teaching of Jesus as the baptizer.

I tell you what this has led to.

It has led to an imbalance, an imbalance, And I'll

give you two examples. Firstly, preaching on Jesus usually focuses

on the offer of forgiveness rather than the offer of holiness. Okay,

I will explain this, and of course hours be like,

it's holiness as necessary as forgiveness, is it? No? I

think we need forgiveness. That's the most important thing. Years

it's important. But if you read he Brewces chapter twelve,

verse fourteen, he actually says, those who are not holy,

we will not see the Lord.

Study, study the scriptures.

He Brews Chapter twelve, verse four is forgiveness alone and

adequate qualification for us to have eternal life? You have

to ask yourself that question. Is forgiveness alone enough? But

that has always been the main focus of our preaching,

That Jesus forgives your sin. Nothing wrong in that. That

is absolutely amazing. That is God's grace upon our lives.

We sang songs just now that talks about God's amazing grace.

But the second thing I want us to realize is this,

the preaching has also focused on the past rather than

the present and the future.

Work of Jesus.

It always talks about what he did for us rather

than what he does or is still doing for us.

That's a big difference. And so God's give or forgiveness,

I tell you what God's gift for forgiveness deals with.

It deals with our past. When you are forgiven and

I will remember your sins no more, hallelujah he Brews

chapter eight, verse twelve. When we experience that, we are

set free because we know all the wrong things that

we have done before, we have started off with a

clean slit, you know, when we go to heaven one

day and when we feel like, okay, I think now

is the time to maybe confess to Jesus that I

did some wrong things back then. Jesus, I did some

wrong things back then. I want to say I'm really

really sorry for it. And Jesus will be like, what

talking you because I remember your sins no more.

In fact, we will be actually.

Talking to God the Father at that time, and God

the Father will say, I don't know what you're talking about,

because all I see is the wounds on the hands

of my son, and he tells me that you did

not do anything that requires me to remember.

That is the amazing thing.

So Jesus forgiveness deals with our past.

My past is dealt with when I am forgiven.

But the truth is all of us are still alive, right,

all of us are still living. We still also have

the present and the future ahead of us.

Not just dealing with the past.

What about the future, when I'm going to have to

deal with temptations, when I'm still going to have to

deal with.

The loss of the flesh? What about now?

And the answer is this, there is another gift besides

the gift of God's forgiveness upon our lives that deals

with the past. And this gif is the gift of

the present and the future. This is the gift of

the Holy Spirit himself.

You see that. It's very important that you see this.

You see, the Holy Spirit is the one that helps

us leave a holy life. There is a reason why

it's called holy Spirit. It's like the because you see,

we always talk about our past and our sins forgiven.

Rarely do we talk about living a holy life. Right

when we talk about living holy life or cannot look

very difficult, very susa.

It's hard to live a holy life.

I think the holy holy stuff we leave it to

heaven right here on earth. Does that mean that right

here on earth we don't need to live a holy life.

A lot of times we think that, you know, when

we are safe means oh safe, say from hell is

always what we think. We look at salvation as an

insurance policy. I've said it, I've said this before. I'm

safe from hell. Okay, that means not safe, completely safe

right now. But you see, Jesus didn't say I came

here to save you from hell only Okay, that is

ultimately what will happen.

Hallelujah, praised the Lord.

But he says I can't him to save you from

your sin, save us from our sin.

That means he.

Wants to help us, not just our past. Since how

many of you all think that you will never sin

in the present, and because I have God with me,

I will never sin in the future as well, just

because I read the salvation prayer. No, you realize that

we still live in the present and we still have

a life ahead of us right, So we need to

have that in mind, past dealt with because of God's forgiveness,

Jesus forgiveness, but the gift of the Holy Spirit is

what helps us live a holy life. But very often

the ascension of Jesus is always overlooked. I say this

before the past few weeks I thought about ascension. I

told you all the story about me going to Indonesia

where they actually celebrate ascension Thursday gives the whole nation

a public holiday. But yet the Church actually don't. Really

we sometimes forget what ascension is all about? Ascension? What's

ascension always overlook you see, even though you think about it,

Ascension is part of every Christian creed that you can find,

the nine seen creed that I don't know what different

creeds over the years have been developed. Every one of

them does not just talk about Jesus' death, does not

just talk about Jesus' burial. There, does not just talk

about Jesus' resurrection, but it also talks about his ascension.

Why was the ascension important? I'll tell you this. The

ascension is so important because it was essentially the inauguration,

the starting of his present ministry as our High priests

at the right hand of God, the Father. Jesus ascended.

Ascension means he ascended into heaven. He is seated next

to God the Father, interceeding. He's telling his father, Father,

look at this hands. These hands are the ones that

makes the people write with.

You, hallelujah.

But not only is Jesus interceeding for us, praying for us,

telling the Father.

To forgive us.

He is also at the place right now where he

is preparing a place for us, and he's exercising all

authority in heaven and on earth for us. But you

see another role that we sometimes miss out is this.

Because this is such an important role that Jesus is

playing in his ascended state, he is today passing on

the spirit of God to us, the spirit that he receives.

He is pouring that same spirit out to his followers

and his disciples, not once only, but he can keep

doing it time after time. He can keep pouring out

his spirit on his people. That's why when we sang

the song, and I need us to understand this all scripture,

when you sing a song like Baptize me from Heaven,

Spirit Come, Spirit Come, it means that we are acknowledging

Jesus as the baptizer of the Holy Spirit.

But a lot of times we forget.

In fact, like I say, we don't even recognize or

we don't remember the ascension.

And so we must realize this.

Only Jesus can baptize his followers in Holy Spirit, and

he will continue to do so as long as this

is needed and we desire for it. We must desire

for it. But the reality is this what Christ takes away.

That means, Ah, what Christ takes away is our past,

since have always been proclaimed, taught, preached, accepted.

We love it.

Thank you Jesus take away all my sins. But what

He has given in place right now is usually a

little bit more silent. Do you realize that we celebrate

what Christ has done for us, We proclaim it, we

accept it, But what He has given is muted. If

only the Church had been as sure as John the

Baptist was that the same Jesus who can take away

our sins is the same Jesus who can feel Holy

Spirit into us. Matthew chapter three, verse leven says, this

I baptize with water those who repent of their sins.

This is John the Baptist talking and turn to God.

But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am,

so much greater that I am not even worthy to

be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize

you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. You see,

the gift of forgiveness for my past is matched with

another gift for the now and what is to come.

That is the gift of the Holy Spirit himself that

deals with my present and future. If we do not

believe that the Holy Spirit could be given to us today,

that would mean that we could only have our past

dealt with, but our present and our future will still

remain in the grip of our flesh and our weaknesses.

That is the reality of it.

And so you know how we feel so grateful knowing

that Jesus has saved us from all our past, since

we rejoice. And then what happens if we are not

equipped to live a victorious life? I tell you what

will happen. The moment we slip back into our ways,

the moment we slip back into the sinful nature, the

devil defeats us with guilt.

Guilt we'll kick in.

You'll feel like, oh, I thought everything in the past

is white clean. Yes, everything in the past is white clean.

But why do I keep falling? Why do I keep tripping?

And then guilt starts to come in, and before you

know it, we are going back to the past because

we are not equipped to face the present and the future.

And this is why I know it is so important

for us to prioritize the Spirit of God, whom we

we have with.

Us right now.

Every believer can be spirit filled, and the emphasis on

the Holy Spirit cannot be undermined because the reception of

the Holy Spirit in our lives equips us to overcome

the journey of life that will be filled with trials,

will be filled with temptations, will be filled with challenges.

Did you know the scripture tells us that blesspheming the

son of Man can be forgiven. You know that, but

not blespheming the Holy Spirit Matthew Chapter twelve, verse that

you want you think they blessed fem Jesus.

They did.

They put the son of God, They put God on

the cross, They nailed him to the cross, and they

caused him to die. You think that was not blespheming,

or that was not blesphemous. It was absolutely did all

of them still were able to be forgiven. Yes, because

Jesus' his father forgive them, for they know not what

they do. But yet in Matthew chapter twelve, verse thirty one,

it says, therefore, I say to you every sin and

blesphemy will be forgiven, but the blesphemy against the Spirit

will not be forgiven. Why why ever, ever wondered why? Well,

I'll tell you why. You see, the Holy Spirit is

the final installment of God's ministry of reconciliation with men.

Let us not be ignorant about the Holy Spirit even words.

Let us never deny the Holy Spirit in our lives,

whether in words or more importantly, through our deeds. Sometimes

we may not say I deny the Holy Spirit, but

sometimes in our deeds it as though we don't believe

the Holy Spirit can feel us. And so it's so

important because the Holy Spirit is the final, the final, final.

You know, you can you can this God, you can

bless fhem against God. The Father Jesus came and Jesus said, Father,

I'm going to take all their sins so that you

can forgive them, so that you can wash them clean.

And that is essentially what Jesus did on the cross.

But yet they didn't appreciate him because they put him

on the cross. They put him on the cross, and

he still says, it's okay, it's going to be okay.

I tell you where I have to go, because when

I go, there will be someone else who will come.

And that someone else we know and we read today

is the Holy Spirit. But there is no one else

after the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is pointing

you towards Jesus, but you continue to deny the Holy Spirit,

ultimately there is no other opportunity left there after.

That's why the scripture.

Becomes so strong in saying that those who blesspheme the

Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And so remember this

Holy Spirit is the final installment. This is God's perfect

plan of reconciliation. The entire God. Hate is at work,

the entire God, the Father God, the Son God, the

Holy Spirit is at work in how salvation? Do you

realize that? So let's start with this. That's the history,

that is my introduction. You see where we are today

and why sometimes we are where we are because of

how things are, because of sometimes I admit, maybe the

church has not been teaching, has not been emphasizing I

preach my first ever ascension message this year because I

had to go to Indonesia that had an ascension service

and never preach ascension message life. And sometimes, you know,

we forget, and that is how we all forget sometimes

why the Jesus had to ascend, because he says that

I will give you the Holy Spirit. So the first

thing we need to realize is the Holy Spirit is

the promise of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is the promise of Jesus.

The disciples had walked with Jesus for three years and

then they were told to carry and wait for the Spirit.

It's in X chapter one, verse four.

And being assembled together with them, he commanded them not

to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise

of the Father.

The promise of the Father is the Holy Spirit.

Jesus kept telling them, reminded them that it is to

their advantage, our advantage, that he has to go. You know,

do you think they wanted Jesus to go? Man, they

had the Son of God.

I don't know. Main part of me sometimes wish that

I was.

Walking with Jesus those study three years that he was here,

And I don't know. I can't imagine him being such

a wonderful teacher. I can imagine him being such a

great friend, such an amazing lord. Such I mean, just

walking with Jesus would have been awesome and amazing. I

don't think any one of them wanted him to go,

But year he said, it is to your advantage that

I go, because he understood his limitations. He had limitations

not as God, but he had limitations in his form

as the son of men, because as the son of

man he had to empty himself of his divinity. Jesus

could not be with everyone all the time, and he

knew the only way in which I could be with

everyone all the time.

Is if I go.

And he says, nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it

is to your advantage that I go away.

For if I do not.

Go away, the helper will not come to you, But

if I depart, I will send him to you. You

know how many people you can court with your hands

who had Jesus next to them walking with them.

Do you know how many.

Today can have Jesus walking with them all the time

because of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

It's amazing. So don't ever think his Holy Spirit really necessary.

You see, Jesus did not want to be the center

of attention because he knew that should be the role

that is being played through his ascension by passing on

the Holy Spirit who will be present with the followers

from here on.

He knew that he was clear on that.

So what Jesus could do is fulfill his function as

the one who baptizes in Holy Spirit, as prophesied by

John the Baptist. Therefore, it is actually part of Jesus'

ascension ministry. After he returned back to the Father in heaven,

he is the one that now baptizes. Anyone can baptize

another person who profess faith and Jesus in water anyone.

That's why when we have water baptism service, it could

be your home leader, it could be.

Yeah, anyone.

But year only Jesus alone can baptize in Holy Spirit

believers who are truly repentant towards God for sins committed

and has personal faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord

and Savior. This is a role that only Jesus can play.

And that's why when you are seeking and desiring the

infeeling of the Holy Spirit, you are praying to Jesus.

You're saying, Jesus baptize me from heaven. And so therefore

I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe

that you have received it and it will be yours.

Mark Chapter eleven, verse twenty four. Don't be disappointed just

because you ask and nothing happens. See this verse actually

has a little bit of a subtle change in the

future tens.

In the last part.

You realize that no way does it say if you ask,

it is a radios. Sometimes that's what we want, because

we live in this microwave era where everything must be instantaneous.

It doesn't say if you ask, it's a radios. It says,

if you ask, it will be yours. That's a future

tends to wait. And that's why I have prayed for

people that Jesus will baptize them in the Holy spirit

and science.

I will tell.

Them nothing happens. Now, when it happens, tell me share

and rejoice that God has filled you with his holy presence.

But I continue to exercise faith even though I can

exercise disappointment, because if I think that it happens instantaneously,

it's not.

It says it will be yours. So have that in mind.

In Luke chapter eleven, it says this, So I say

to you, ask and it will be given to you. Sick,

and you will find. Knock and the door will be

open to you. For everyone who asks receives. The one

who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the

door will be open. Which of you, fathers, if your

son asks for a fish, you will give him a

snake instead, Or if he asks for an egg, you

will give him a scorpion. If you, then, though you

are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your Father in Heaven give the

Holy Spirit to those who ask him?

Ask?

Ask Jesus, Ask God, the Father, Father, God Father God,

asks Jesus to baptize me in the Holy Spirit.

I need it.

But how do we know when we have received the

promise of the Holy Spirit. It's a question that we

always ask. And if you read the scriptures again, this

is where I'm telling you read the scriptures. Don't just

take what I have to say for it. Jesus thought

that whatever the heart was filled with usually emerges out

of their mouth. Whenever your heart is out of the

abundance of your heart the mouth speaks, So what kind

of speech is unmisticable evidence that a person has been

filled with the Holy Spirit? And actually the Scripture tells

us that it's languages or sometimes we say these words

called tongues, which we don't like. Sometimes like tongues. No,

everyone's like, oh, what's that? But it's actually a fluent

speech in a language never before learned or spoken. And

this is the most common evidence mentioned. And I pray

that we won't continue to treat it with suspicion and contempt.

I'm only saying what I believe scripture is teaching us.

Of course, Scripture also mentions other forms of overflow, again,

out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Other overflows that are mentioned in scripture praise, prophecy, both

which are known and in a familiar language. That means,

can that also be the evidence of the Holy Spirit

feeling us from the scripture?

I would say yes, but it will be obvious.

That means it's not I just praise God one time,

not I just prophesied something one time. It will be

something that is as obvious as a different language that

comes out of your mouth. That is my belief and

that is my understanding. To sum it up, it is

some form of spontaneous inspired speech that we usually see

as evidence of the feeling of the Holy Spirit in

our lives and tongues. Is the most frequent one that

is recorded in scripture. That is why we believe it

as one of the evidence, if not the main, evidence

of the infeeling of the Holy Spirit. That was my experience,

a biblical experience, and I don't know how else to

teach it, because a lot of us have come to

this place where we cannot accept this evidence because somehow

we have been taught, or we have been made to

understand that this is of the devil.

Won't ever do that.

What you are uncertain of, what you may have heard,

what you may have been taught, go back.

To the scriptures and search the scriptures.

What you may not have experienced yet for yourself may

not mean that it is of the devil, because when

we say that, we are sometimes tittering on the brink

of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Don't do that, I'm saying,

I'm pleading with you. Don't take my word for it.

Go back to the scriptures. Read the scriptures, Read the

Book of Acts, all this is a reminder that the

Holy Spirit is not only the promise of Jesus, but

also the power of God at work in our lives.

Why do I say that, Well, you will realize not

only is the Holy Spirit the promise, he's the power.

Because all these things that happens, the evidence that is

going to take place when the Holy Spirit comes upon

our lives is something that we cannot do by ourselves.

We don't just know other languages. We are not just

able to praise and prophesy. It's not something I mean,

I'll be honest with you. We can't even praise when

we have John here not trying to lead us, because

I don't hear us singing sometimes. Do you realize that

it's so hard to even sing on Sunday in a

church setting. It's almost muted sometimes. And then this is

where we have to ask ourselves, rod Am I really.

Spirit feel?

Because if we are spirit feel, you'll find yourself praising.

You'll be walking around praising Jesus, prophesying, praising, saying Amen,

it will be again. The evidence is as such that

it is obvious. You don't doubt that is what the

scripture tells me. Why do I say that because when

you read the scriptures the early apostles, they notice when

the people were not feel or not baptized yet with

the Holy Spirit.

They will ask, do you know the Holy Spirit? How

do you think they knew?

It's because something was absent, something was missing. If not,

they would have known whether they were either praying tongues

or praising or prophesying. It is something that's obvious that

they could have seen. If they don't see that straight away,

they were rammed. Do you realize that's what they did?

Straight away? They're like, let's pray now for the Holy Spirit.

But you see, the salvation experience for the early disciples

is as such. They get safe, they repent, they believe,

they give their life to Jesus.

They get water baptized.

Almost I wouldn't say immediately, but it's not a long

time after water baptism, they are straight away they're praying

and seeking and desiring the Holy Spirit to come upon them,

so that the timing is a lot shorter back then.

In today's day and age, we take forever to even

be initiated into the faith. How many of us are

not water baptized because we don't think it's important, or

we don't think, we think it's an option. Think about it,

because I will tell you this whatter baptism is so important.

It's almost if I look at the sequence of a

person's salvation is usually repentance. Believe that means I repent

to God the Father. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry

God that i have wronged you. I believe in what

Jesus Christ has done for me on the cross. That

is my faith. I believe in what He has done

for me. And because of all that He has done

for me on the Cross, my sins are forgiven.

And then don't just stop there.

We need to declare to the world that we are

believers and followers of Jesus. That's why we go to

the waters of baptism. It's a public declaration of what's

inside us. If we are so ashamed to share what's

inside us, something is not fully converted yet, and then

only we will see the infeeling of the Holy Spirit.

That is the usual sequence.

In the Book of X there was one occasion when

it was reversed. That means the person received the baptism

of the Holy Spirit before he was water baptized, and

that is in X chapter ten. You see Cornelius's experience. Honestly,

I had a Cornelius experience. But I will also stand

here and say that I don't think that's the norm.

But I had a Cornelius experience that really.

Just for me.

It's something that I can never forget. I was a

young believer, but I was a believer. I was standing

firm for my faith in a family of pre believers.

My parents were unbelievers, and I had to stand for

a mentor then that I believe in God.

They didn't allow me to go to church. They allowed me.

To go for a Christian camp, which is where I

actually encountered the Holy Spirit, but never did they allow

me to get water baptized until I was seventeen. After

seventeen and that was the first thing that I did

when I finished my SPM, I decided I need to

be water baptized.

But I had a bit of a.

Corneliss experience, which I would say it is not the

common sequence. Yet that is for me, and so I

wouldn't say it's for all of us. More importantly, is

all I want us to know is this that it

will be evidence. There will be evidence. You will know,

and you will realize that God's power is upon your

life because we cannot do God's work with our own

human strength. That's why it says not not by power,

but by my Spirit, says the Lord of God hosts.

We cannot obey Christ's commands, walk in his will, and

follow his word without.

The power of the Holy Spirit.

You see, it's the Holy Spirit that constantly reminds us

of Christ's teaching. You see John fourteen, verse twenty six, say,

is the helper the Holy Spirit, whom the Father.

Will send in my name?

He will teach you all things and bring to your

remembrance all things that I.

Say to you.

So an important question to ask is this, who benefits

the most from the power of God? When people are

baptized in the Holy Spirit. Sometimes people ask me, that's

what's so great about being spirit feeled?

Who benefits the most?

No, because they think that, oh, it's just tongues, just

another thing, or no big deal. They benefit themselves only.

So the answer to that question who benefits the most? Well,

I tell you what the individual benefits, but others benefit

as well. Because in the New Testament you will read

that all believers are safe to serve. Therefore, the answer

who benefits the most is both.

I don't know why both can't benefit. Both stand to benefit.

But today sometimes we argue, oh no, this whole Holy

Spirit baptism thing is only for the individual.

It's not.

Yes, the individual stands to benefit and the body of

believers stand to benefit.

Let's try to explain this.

Let me try to explain this, and I know I'm

going to bring your true a bit of a mind

exploding journey. But again, first question, what are we saved

from sin? We are saved from sin, and we need

to understand that we are not only safe from hell ultimately,

because a lot of times we want the assurance with

the assurance I'm not going to.

Hell, yay, hallelujah.

But we are being saved from sin right now, because

what is it that continues to plague our lives sin?

What is the most evident thing in our lives?

Sin?

Salvation is a process and this process, composed of different

phases of our lives, is expressed in the past, is

expressed in the present, is expressed in the future. That

means we have been saved from the penalty of sin, hallelujah,

and we are grateful that's what scripture tells us. We

are saved from the penalty of seeing. The penalty of

sin is death. That means our past sins forgiven and

we don't have to worry. That's what justification means. That

means we are made right in God, saved. That's the

only past tense from the penalty of sin. But we

are also being saved from the power of sin that

is at work. You see that, anyone of us here

can tell me that the power of sin is not

award in my life anymore, a bit harder because it's

everywhere we are. Still we still fall short of God's glory.

But I don't doubt that because of what Jesus did

for me.

I believe in him.

I put my hope and my trust in him, and

therefore I am saved from the penalty of sin. But

the power of sin is still working in our lives.

What do you think the outcome of the power of

sin in our life is also death? Do you know

that sometimes we think, oh, only the penalty of sin

least us to death. No, not only are we saved

from the penalty of sin, we are also being saved

from the power of sin. Because if the power of sin.

Imagine it. If the power of sin continues to be

at work in our lives, where do you think that will.

Lead us to It will lead us to destruction.

It will lead us to death because sin is what

Jesus came to save us from. But if sin continues

to work in our lives, then it would work in

place of Jesus.

That is the truth.

And so we are being safe from the power of

sin so that one day we will be safe, we

will be saved.

From the presence of sin altogether. You see that.

Salvation is at work past, present, future. It's happened, it's

not I'm safe, hallelujah. I'm not going to hell. That's it.

I'm going to leave my life awesomely. Then you realize

the next thing you do, you fall, and when you fall,

guilt starts to envelop our lives. And that's how you

find yourself walking or moving further and further away from

the very person who has been trying to embrace you

God right. And so the baptism in spirit relates to

every phase of our salvation. The baptism mean spirit is

the proof of justification. We are justified, declared innocent in

God's cart acquitted. When we repent of our sins and

believe in the Savior. When we are filled with the

Holy Spirit, we know that we are therefore sons and

daughters of God because He has given us the spirit.

The gift of the spirit is proof, is evidence that

we have been forgiven. You know what that does for

your faith? It does wonders. Not only is it proof

of us being right with God, it is a prerequisite.

That means when we have the Spirit of God in us,

it becomes the prerequisite for sanctification because God is working

and is the Spirit of God is working. You see,

we are not just saved from sin. Sometimes the only

thing we think of. We are saved from sin, but

we are safe from sin to holiness. Don't ever remove

living a holy life, because that's what we find holy

too far away, unachievable, unattainable. Save from sin. Can all

my pastor take it away, Lord, take it away, Lord.

But you see, we are not just saved from sin.

We are safe from sin to holiness. And the truth

is we cannot attain or achieve holiness in our own strength.

As many of you may have tried and fail. We

can never achieve it with our own power. We need

supernatural power. We need holy power. We need the Holy Spirit.

We need to be strench immersed in the Holy Spirit

because God's standards are too high for us to reach

unless He helps us.

That is the truth.

And God demands of his people that they be holy

as He is holy. You see that in the scriptures

Levetticus first Peter. You see, God doesn't lower his standards

to meet his people. He lives his people up to

meet his standards. That is what God is doing for

you by giving you the Holy Spirit. You see, when

we receive the Holy Spirit and allow him to work

in us, one day we will experience the promise of glory.

He who begain a good work in each of us

will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It will come. And this is why we should desire

the Holy Spirit.

Right at the beginning of our Christian journey. Is to

help us, is to enable us to grow in holiness

as we walk in the spirit. Have there been practical

problems to spirit baptism, Yes, there have been.

Some people criticize.

Spirit baptism because those receiving it are not immediately holy.

Me included.

I've been spirit baptized, Did I straight away become holy?

Or am I so perfect right now?

No? My wife is the best person to testify. Far

from it. But because of that we criticize because we

don't see no difference God spirit, no spirit. Also Satan

say tany be careful again, be careful. And then on

the other extreme are those who think that once they

are spirit feels suddenly they're more mature, they are super holy,

They're superior above all the others who don't have the

similar experience. You see, the gift of the Holy Spirit

is a grace, gift.

Grace? What is grace? What you don't deserve?

You can It's given to us because of God's mercy,

not our marriage, not because we deserve it. See, the

reality is that gifts are in no way indicative of

the quality of our character. And I'm not status symbols.

Sometimes we use it as a status thing or my

spirit feeld I can do a lot of things. It's

not you see, it is actually possible to exercise some

of these gifts if you think about it in flesh,

in connality. What do I mean by that? In the

Old Testament, Samson was spirit film you know that. Where

do you think he got his strength from? Was Sampson

the most upright and straight person. No, he had a

lot of traits of Ana Stan Samson. The Corinthian Church,

the Church in Kornthe they were spirit filed. That's why

a lot of the teachings of the Holy Spirit is

actually from First Corinthians.

But why do you think the teaching was that?

Because they were all behaving badly, the whole Corinthian Church. Actually,

we're behaving really and that's what Paul had to teach you. See,

Christians need to be constantly reminded of the need.

To grow and mature.

Maturity comes from walking in the spirit, not clapping and

jumping and dancing in the spirit, but walking in love,

light and wisdom. See, the Lord will judge us by

what use we have made of the resources that He

has given to us. That's where you see the parable

of the wise and the foolish brides. That's where you

see the parable of the talents. What do you do

with what God has given to you? Not all of

us make use of the gifts that we are given

and that we have received. So baptism in spirit doesn't

make us holy in itself. But when Holy Spirit dwells

in us, it makes it gloriously possible. If we respond

rightly to this holy invasion in our lives, it makes

it possible what once was impossible. You see that there

is a difference, and so sometimes the way we think

the way we perceive. Be careful. Those who are baptized,

don't go I'm holier than now. Those who are not

what the baptized, don't think that there's no point being

baptize in Holy Spirit because everyone is still cla we said, no,

I'm telling you this. It gives us the possibility when

we respond right because we have with us the Holy

Spirit that lives in us. That's why walking in the

spirit is so important. We got to keep walking. What's

the point if you stop walking? It's the same thing

as I believe in Jesus. That's uth's professing faith. But

we can stop believing, you know that, And many people

actually stop believing it. And that's why our faith is

not just for God's so love the world that whoever

who believes I believe one time, it's enough, No, it says,

believe and carry on believing. So we are called to

walk in the spirit. We must receive the Holy Spirit.

God wants us to have a relationship with him and

make him our best friend. And that's why the posture

with the Holy Spirit is one of reception. When we pray,

sometimes we always say receive Jesus, receive Jesus. I always say,

we cannot receive Jesus. Jesus in heaven sit next to

the Father. But what and who we can receive is

actually the Holy Spirit in our lives. And who is

the one that gives us the Holy Spirit in our

lives is Jesus that fills the Holy Spirit in our lives.

And so he will lead us, guide us, and remind

us about what Christ is about.

That is what walking in the spirit means.

You see, being spirit filled means we are constantly filled

with the spirit, otherwise we will be filled with other things.

And the why.

In Galatians five he says, this walk in the spirit,

and you shall not fulfill the last of the flesh.

For the flesh lasts against the spirit, and the spirit

against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another,

so that you do not do the things that you wish.

War with the spirit, we think upon the spirit is

also part of walking with the Spirit. I know some

of us we have come to this point because of

again our understanding what we have been taught. We are frustrated,

and we think sometimes it's done in a very frustrating manner,

until that sometimes becomes the very hindrance from us to

being filled with the Holy Spirit. But we think upon

the Lord is part of walking with the Spirit. When

we wait upon the Holy Spirit, we acknowledge that He

is with us. When you are willing to wait, you

are essentially saying, I believe and I want this. We

are acknowledging that there is someone greater than all the

challenges that we are facing, because he who is in

us is greater than he who is in the world.

One John fall four says that so if we do

not read see if the Holy Spirit, we are actually

in a vulnerable state simply because God's power and God's purity.

God's purity means He's constantly cleaning us is missing. Power

and purity is missing. And power and purity is so

important as we walk through this world because this world

is a very dirty world. That is the truth, a

lot of challenges, a lot of stain, and we need

God's power and purity baptism in the spirit Dosta releases

God's power and purity, and then it gives every member

spiritual gifts as well. That's why the gift of the

Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are both

grace gifts, amazing right given to us, not because we deserving.

And yes, Reaen, you can come out. I'm almost done,

but given to us because of His grace and his mercy.

Grace give what are all these grace gifts that we

see in scripture? Hangs is one of those gifts, and

it's probably the only one that is for self edification,

to edify oneself. The other gifts are for the edification

of the body. Important and it's not a bad thing.

Some people say, oh, see tongue so selfish, just for yourself,

But what do you think your life would be When

you are built up, you will want to build others.

That's what we exist.

But honestly, all the other gift things is for the body.

You see, God gives us the gift of healing, not

to make the healer special. But sometimes it can be misused.

Can it be misused? I'm saying yes, it can be.

And that's why sometimes you have people who go and

collect money for healing. That's not how it should be.

God gives healing not for the person with the gift,

but so that people can be healthy. That's the truth.

Remember that believers who are spirit filled will not just

have these gifts building themselves and building the body, but

believers who are spirit failed will also grow the church quantitatively,

because those who receive power when the Holy Spirit comes

upon them, shall be witnesses to the marvelous works of

Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of

the earth. You see, the Gospel of Jesus Christ will

spread when we are spirit failed. I assure you, because

what comes out of your mouth when the Holy Spirit

feels you, nothing but the name of Jesus praises unto Jesus,

prophecies about Jesus. Whatever tongues that you speak, whatever language

that you are speaking, it will be, I assure you,

glorifying Jesus Holy Spirit.

We need you more than ever.

Let's stand, and this is my encouragement to all of us.

I'm not even land to do all the call today.

I'm not, but I want us to study the scriptures.

I want us to renovate our minds and not ever think, oh,

it's an option. For those of us who have yet

to be water baptized, I encourage you go through the

waters of baptism if you are really profess faith in

Jesus Christ. This is the next thing that we can

do to acknowledge that He is our God and not

be ashamed of who he is. And those of you

who know, because there is no evidence that you have

witnessed of being spirit filled year at this point, don't

don't resist it, don't say no to it. My prayer

and my hope is that we desire it, desiring, desiring,

because I pray that every single believer, those who confess

Jesus as their Lord and Savior, I pray that Jesus

will baptize you in holy spirit.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

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is going to be a good week, a hit for you.

God bless