Pentecost & The Holy Spirit: A Teaching by Mark Acord

It’s available for everyone!

Joel prophesied that God would pour out His Spirit upon all people (Joel 2:28).

Before His death, Jesus told His disciples that He would ask the Father to give us an advocate who will never leave us, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17).

How they received the Holy Ghost in the Bible

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

That pattern of receiving the word, and desiring the spirit of God continued to flow!

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them…But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized…”(Acts 8:5 & 12)

“Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 8:14-16)

The apostle Paul also followed this same pattern. When he came to Ephesus he saw some disciples and asked them if they had received Holy Spirit yet, they replied with, “we have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” (Acts 19:5-6)

We received the Spirit by faith!

“This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Galatians 3:2)

Well, the Bible makes it clear that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1)

Paul put emphasis on receiving the spirit of God in addition to salvation and believing on God… it’s something that he wanted them received!

“Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:1-2)

They didn’t have to search for it… just be open to receive it!

Every time someone received the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts they spoke in tongues.

“And they (120 disciples) were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:4)

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.” (Acts 10:44-46)

We pray for someone to receive the Holy Spirit by following these simple steps: (1) instruct them to expect God to fill them with the Spirit, (2) then lay hands on them, and (3) ask the Father to baptize them in the Holy Spirit.