Have Ye Received the Holy Ghost since ye Believed

Have Ye Received the Holy Ghost since ye Believed? Acts 19:2

Have you received the baptism in the Holy Ghost and with fire, since ye believed? IF not, then why not? "…And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 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. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve." (Acts 19:2-7)

GOD'S GIFT to the world IS Jesus,

GOD'S GIFT to the Church (believer's) IS?

The baptism in the Holy Ghost and with fire!

John the Baptist, (no affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention) said, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" (Matt 3:11). Peter said that this specific baptizing WAS NOT going to end with the 12 Apostles,

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

Acts 2:38-39 Compare also Joel2:28; Acts 2:17

The Holy Ghost shall be given unto all them that obey, "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." (Acts 5:30-32). The next verse says, "When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them." This is the result of preaching with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven (1 Pet 1:12). He testifies of Jesus (John 15:26) who is the Word; and "…the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:12).

Friend, don't let ANY man deceive you! The devil will raise up false teachers who will preach against the mighty baptism in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, because this is what has shook the gates of hell for nearly 2, 000 years saying, "let my people go the blood of Jesus was shed for them"! The devil doesn't want you to believe it's for you, that it's for today, you can go to Church, you can read your Bible, but IF you ever hook up with a prayer language that connects you with the perfect will of God, praying the perfect will of God, that's when you really strike fear to his kingdom!

"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost," Jude 20

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Rom 8:26-27

Whole denominations will not preach the Baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire simply because He is an exposer of SIN, RIGHTEOUSNESS, and JUDGMENT to come!!!! He just might demand you to live Holy, offending the lusts of the flesh rooted in the lusts of this world!

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he (the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth) is come, he will reprove (convince and convict) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 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 16:7-15

Jesus Himself said that He would not leave us Comfortless (John 14:18). But that He would send us the Comforter, He would baptize us with the Holy Ghost who would enable and equip us to be witnesses unto Jesus throughout the world.

#1 He would develop IN US through the Spirit the character and nature of Jesus. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Gal 5:22-25

#2 He would empower us through the Spirit for the work of the ministry. "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." 1 Cor 12:4-11

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit,

and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." Gal 5:16

It is through the baptism of the Spirit, that we are able to mortify the deeds and lusts of the flesh

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Rom 8:11-14

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:" Col 3:5-10

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." Rom 6:12-17

The next step for a believer after they have been saved, is to be endued with power from on high like that of the apostles, to be baptized with Holy Ghost and with fire!