A double minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). Either we accept the presence of the Holy Ghost (also known as the Comforter, Holy Spirit, and Spirit of Truth) in our lives...or we don’t.  As children of God, we can’t say in one breath that it was the Holy Spirit that drew us to the Lord, and then in the next deny that He still has power in the earth today.  If the Holy Spirit has no power in the earth today, then how can He lead you to the Lord? He either has power or he doesn’t, and He’s either with us, or he’s not. What will we choose to believe? God doesn’t want us to be double-minded when it comes to the Holy Spirit in our lives.

     Many say that the miracles of healing and casting out of demons ended with the disciples and their converts, and that we cannot experience these types of miracles today. It was the same Holy Ghost performing the miracles through the disciples back then as the one performing them in our lives now. Receiving Salvation is a miracle in itself and comes through the power of the Holy Ghost. We have not received a different Holy Ghost, and He has not lost any of His power. God’s Word clearly tells us it is by one Spirit.  How can we say that the Holy Ghost has the power to lead us to Salvation today, but is not able to perform miracles? What many people don’t understand is that it was not the disciples who were creating the miracles and wonders, but it was the Holy Ghost doing this work through them. 

     Jesus told us that it was better for him to go away because then he would send the comforter (Holy Ghost) who would abide with us for ever.  Jesus also says in John 14:12: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”  How could Jesus make a statement like this?  The reason Jesus was able to make this statement was because he knew the Holy Spirit would be operating through us.  Jesus tells us to ask and it will be given to us, to seek and find, to knock and it shall be opened to us, and that if we, being evil, know how to give good gifts to our children: how much more shall our Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

     John the Baptist said that he baptized with water, but the one who would come after him would baptize with fire and the Holy Ghost..   When we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we accept by faith that Jesus died and rose for us. He doesn’t have to come back and die all over again for us to receive Salvation because we accept by faith what he has already done through the power of the Holy Spirit. In this same way, on the day of Pentecost the Lord poured out His Spirit upon all flesh which was prophesied by Joel. He did this once and for all, and we accept it by faith. The Holy Spirit is already here. We receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit by faith in the same way we receive Salvation by faith.

     Peter said to repent and be baptized every one of us in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and we shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. We receive (take) the Holy Ghost by faith.

 The Holy Ghost Baptism could not be brought to pass until Jesus died, was resurrected and glorified. Some will say this is not true for John the Baptist, Elizabeth, Zechariah and Mary were filled with the Holy Ghost years before Jesus ever died. Also, others will say “Didn’t the prophets have the Spirit of God in them when they prophesied?”  True, but these holy people before the cross did not receive the baptism in the Holy Ghost.  How can we say this? The Apostle John says plainly, “...the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified.” What did these people have then? The Apostle Peter states that “...holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

     You may say, “why do we need the Holy Ghost baptism anyway? What’s the big deal?” The answer is the same today as it was on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth and Jesus has sent this wonderful and free gift to give us power to be witnesses for him even to the point of death, to lay hands on the sick and see them recover, and to cast out demons!  Once the disciples received the Power of the Holy Ghost operating in their lives, they were willing to be witnesses to the point of death even though before this they had denied Christ.  The miracles did not happen because the disciples had their own supernatural powers. They happened because of the presence of the Holy Spirit operating through them. Today, the miracles can happen exactly the same way, and believe it or not, they ARE happening all around the world through believers who are allowing the Holy Spirit to operate through them and stepping out in faith! Praise God!

Read the following scripture from Acts and see how the Holy Ghost Baptism and the Baptism by water (John’s Baptism) are two completely different experiences. These people had been baptized in water, and then were baptized by the Holy Ghost:

(Acts 19:1)  And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, (Acts 19:2)  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. (Acts 19:3)  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. (Acts 19:4)  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. (Acts 19:5)  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:6)  And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them…

    God has continually been with His people from the time of creation. In the Old Testament it was God who walked in the Garden of Eden and instructed Moses. In the New Testament it was Jesus who walked and talked among us until he went away to send us the Comforter. God has never allowed the human race to be without Him in one form or another.

     We have accepted God our Father, and we have accepted Jesus, God’s Son. How long will we deny the third person of the Trinity, the precious Holy Spirit? We don’t have to do some weird ritual to give Him access to our lives. All we do is open our mouths and receive Him by faith!

     Are you denying the power? Then receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Don’t be afraid to ask for the Holy Spirit. As believers, we can easily understand that the Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity. How long will we deny Him access into our lives?