AWAITING!! Watching & Praying

                                                                  BAPTISM OF POWER

 Jesus gave the promise to the Disciples, " But you shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you.  The promise was realized by the early Disciples, and examples of that power were soon evident.  The Disciples had fled when Jesus was being tried and in some cases  (like that of Peter)  denied even association with Him.  But suddenly, the Disciples who had been fearful and timid became, dynamic, courageous messengers of the Good News of Jesus Christ.  What brought about this dramatic change?  This was obviously a result of their receiving the Holy Spirit Baptism.

There is a reason for granting power to the Believer.  It is for service, to make us effective witnesses.  The baptism provides us with power to dominate circumstances, to be victorious, and to spread the light of the Gospel to a sin-darkened world.  After the 120 were baptized in the Holy Ghost, they went into the streets witnessing of Jesus.  The Jews who were gathered from all over the world, because of the feast of Pentecost, heard the wonderful works of God in their own languages (Acts 2:11).  Peter stood up and preached about Joel's prophecy (Joel 2:28-29) and the resurrection of Christ.  " Then those who gladly received his word were baptized;  and that day about three thousand souls were added to them." (Acts2:41).  The results were amazing as they witnessed in the power of the Holy Ghost.  Soon another 5000 believed the word and were added to the Church (Acts 4:4)

                                                            RIVERS OF LIVING WATER

 Jesus described the Holy Spirit as rivers of living water that would flow out of the believers' innermost being.  John 7:37-39, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive;  for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  The Holy Spirit produces rivers of life, love, joy, peace and power to flow out of your spirit to meet the needs of others.  Jesus said those who believe upon Him should receive the Holy Spirit.

 Many Churches teach that the infilling of the Holy Spirit automatically accompanies the fact of salvation at the moment a person is Born-Again.  In essence, that is correct.  A person does receive the Holy Spirit when he is saved, but there is a vast difference between being born of the Spirit and being baptized into the Spirit.  There is a definite and separate experience subsequent to salvation. At Salvation, the Holy Spirit baptizes you into Christ,  because you have expressed your faith in the shed blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins.  When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit,  Jesus Christ Himself comes to you and greatly and powerfully immerses you into the Holy Spirit.  This experience is not comparable to , nor simultaneous with salvation.  It does not make a person more  "saved,"  it does not better prepare one for Heaven.  But we do believe it gives one power for service.  Acts 1:8  But you shall receive power,  after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you:  and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem,  and in all Judaea,  and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  Praise the LORD!!

Yes to be baptized in the Holy Spirit is the greatest,  most powerful,  awesome and joyful experience one can imagine!  No,  you can't imagine it, you have to experience it!!  The night I was baptized in the Holy Ghost was a answer to prayer indeed.  June 2003,  I walked into a Revival at Grand Bay Church of God.  My life has not been the same since!  The Evangelist was Preaching on the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.  I knew I was saved,  but I didn't have the Baptism,  as a matter of fact I'd never heard it preached before.  I prayed with my whole heart and searched continually on the matter.  I had a zeal great and large,  and nothing was going to hinder me from receiving the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.  At the end of that week nothing happened.  I was so disappointed,  wondering and praying what I had done wrong.  The Revival was over and I was left discouraged but yet seeking for understanding.  I researched on the Internet for information on the subject,  I studied my Bible,  and of course prayed.  My Pastor announced the same Evangelist was coming back for another Revival at the end of the month.  "Oh Boy,"  I thought!  I was so excited, could not hardly contain myself for the possibilites that lie ahead.  Oh, but I got so much more serious.  See not only had I never heard of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost,  I also had never heard of Sanctification.  Gee,  I was really cleaning up my life from top to bottom,  even so much I nearly drove my husband out of my life.  I got called everything from self-righteous to holier than thou!  Yet,  that didn't stop me!  At that time,  I had a few bad habits.  Days of our Lives was one of them.  Yes,  that "addictive"  soap opera had to go.  And out the door it went.  Six years later and I'm still set free! Hallelujah!  Also I had another bad habit,  quiet frankly I'm very ashamed to even say it.  But Glory be to Almighty God,  He took that desire out of me,  and that was alcohol.  I use to drink a couple of beers every night before I went to bed.  With this new life I found in the Church of God,  and learning about the Sanctification process, I knew that God was not pleased with me.  It had to go,  and with my intense yearing to be Baptized in The Spirit,  The Lord Jesus Christ set me free and delieverd me from the taste of beer.  Now that is something I will always give the Lord God all the Praise and Glory for, because I have a heart condition and that nasty mess has no business in my body in the first place!

The end of the month came and we were in Revival.  Each night I listened for opportunities to go and get baptized,  but nothing.  I was growing discouraged again. I could not understand what I was doing wrong or what part of me that was not cleaned up yet.  So here we are the last night of Revival and the Altar Call was made.  The Evangelist called for everyone 30 and under to come up for Prayer.  My heart sank,  I thought to myself,  'Oh no,  it's almost over and I'm not going to get my Prayer answered.'  So anyway,  He requested for people to come up and get behind somebody and pray for them.  I rose up with a sad heart and headed to the Altar and stood behind a young lady and began praying for her.  So at the very, very end,  I just stood back with both hands reaching towards Heaven and all of a sudden, that Evangelist was in my face and two Prayer Warriors on each side of me!!!  The last night of Revival,  at the very end of Service,  July 2, 2003,  on a Wednesday night,  I, Tracey L. Swinson,  was Baptized in The Holy Ghost!!  The Holy Spirit fell on me in such a mighty and powerful way,  it was as though I was being immersed in and out of water.  I was going backwards and up powerfully with stammering lips.  OH Praise God!!!  The Lord Jesus Christ gave me what I had sought with all my heart,  soul,  mind,  and strength.  That would forever change me,  the former grand daughter of a well respected Primitive Baptist Preacher.  Now that Great,  Bold Witness is in me to share the Word of God with others.  And oh how GREAT is that desire to proclaim The Gospel!!

If you, as a Born Again Child of God,  have not yet received the Baptism,  keep praying,  keep seeking,  keep knocking.  He will come in and infill you in such a way,  you will not be able to stand up straight!  Do not be afraid,  yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to take over.  He will do a great inward work in you and set you on a path of joy unspeakable.  Praise His Name even now for it!

 I'm not here to promote a certain Church or Denomination,  I cannot tell you where to go to Church,  but there is one thing that I do know.   The Lord Jesus Christ chose the Church of God to bless me mightily in!  As long as I have breath in me,  I will be faithful to The Church of God and their dedication to seeing others Saved, Sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost!   I am forever indebted to my God for sending His Spirit to me that night.  God sent me a special friend,  a Church of God,  Holy Ghost filled woman,  who led me to her Church and for that I will forever be grateful!  May all who is seeking for something, and maybe you just do not know what it is, ask God to baptize you in His Holy Spirit.  It's like a missing piece of a puzzle, that God places inside of you.  You will be so Amazed how much God loves you, so Amazed of how much He cares.

                                                                               GOD BLESS YOU

                                                                               Sis. Tracey

 (some text taken from a Jimmy Swaggart Commentary)