THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

Marcella Ward   September 18, 2024

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

When Jesus was with the Apostles, He told them that the Holy Spirit was with them but that later He would be within them.  What did Jesus mean by this?  He was talking about Pentecost when the Holy Spirit would come into that upper room in the form of a mighty rushing wind and tongues resembling fire would appear above each of the 120 gathered there.  They began speaking in different languages (tongues), as the Spirit gave them.  Other Jews who had gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost began to hear their native language being spoken and wondered what had happened.  Peter raised his voice and began to proclaim what had happened and proclaim the Word of God and around 3,000 souls were converted that very day.  From that time on, the Apostles were not afraid because the Holy Spirit had given them power to go forth in the Name of Jesus.

How is this different than water Baptism?  It is different because water Baptism is part of salvation.  John the Baptist talked about the Baptism of fire.   Matthew  3:11 it says, “I indeed baptize you in water because of repentance.  But He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to take off or carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

Jesus told Nicodemus that being born again is to be born of the water and the Spirit.  He also compared the Holy Spirit Baptism with the wind.  Jesus also spoke of the Holy Spirit as living water.  John 4:14, it says, “But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more.  But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) (continually) within him unto eternal life.”

When you receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit you become immersed in Him.  He is not just with you but in you in a powerful way just like the Apostles.  The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a whole new way of thinking and perceiving.  It is a new perspective on life and how we live our lives led by the Holy Spirit.

Many Christians who have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit have experienced great blessing and comfort.  As a result, they have received a renewed dedication and appreciation for God; a stronger desire to read the Bible, a stronger desire to fellowship with other Christians, and a deeper sense of worship of God. 

When I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, I received it at home and it was a very powerful experience for me.  I was in my early twenties.  After this experience, I had a great hunger to read the Bible and a hunger to seek more of God.  It has been a life long journey experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit within me and being able to pray in tongues and receive some of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to edify and strengthen my spiritual walk as well as using these gifts to minister to other people.

Peter the Apostle, who had denied Jesus three times was no longer afraid after the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  He as well as all the others were no longer afraid to proclaim the Gospel and even die for the cause.

Acts 1:4-5, “And while in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which you have  heard Me speak.  For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

WHAT DOES THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT DO FOR YOU?

You speak to God. 

I Corinthians 14:2, “For one who speaks in an (unknown tongues speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the (Holy) Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things.

You are edified or charged up spiritually.

I Corinthians 14:14, “For if I pray in an (unknown) tongue, my spirit (by the Holy Spirit within me) prays, but my mind is unproductive (it bears no fruit and helps nobody).

You put on the armor of God.

Ephesians 6:17-18, “And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.  Pray at all times on every occasion, in every season in the Spirit with all (manner of) prayer and entreaty.  To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints.”

When you don’t know how to pray for a particular situation.

Romans 8:26-27, “So too the (Holy) Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer  nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the (Holy) Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes and pleads (before God) in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will.”

You may be used in the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Church or in a ministry.

We may be used to help the Body of Christ in either a ministry or in your day to day life experiences.  These gifts are given for a purpose.  They are not for just edifying yourself but there are to be used for the Body of Christ. 

When I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, I was at home and it was a very powerful experience for me.  After this experience, I had a great hunger to read the Bible and a hunger to seek more of God.  It has been a life long journey experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit within me and being able to pray in tongues and receive some of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to minister to others.

HOW DO I RECEIVE THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?

1. You must be a born again Christian. Acts 2:38

2. It is administered by Jesus.  Luke 3:16

3. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift received by faith.  Galatians 3:14

4.  We receive by asking.  I John 5:14, 15

 To receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, pray this prayer:

“Heavenly Father, at this moment I come to You.  I thank You that Jesus saved me.  I pray that the Holy Spirit might come upon me, Lord Jesus, baptize me now in the Holy Spirit.  I receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit right now by faith in Your Word.  May the anointing, the glory, and the power of God come upon me and into my life right now.  May I be empowered for service from this day forward.  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for baptizing me in Your Holy Spirit.  Amen.”  The Christian Broadcasting Network 2019 CBN.com

                                                                WHAT IS REST?

 

Marcella Ward   September 11, 2024 

What is rest?  According to the dictionary it means, “The act or state of ceasing from work, activity, or motion; quiet.”  It also means, “peace, ease or refreshment.”

The following are scriptures about rest:

And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when He rested from all His work of creation.  Genesis 2:3

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. ~Psalm 62:1-2

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ~Psalm 91:1

Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. ~Psalm 116:7

Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil    people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.  Psalm 37:7 (NLT)

Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”  Deuteronomy 33:12 (NIV)

On August 10, 2016 the Lord gave me the following words:  “Child of mine, rehearsing the future is futile.  Rely and rest and be content in Me moment by moment.  Refresh your spirit in My Word each day.  Rest in Me.  Live in Me.  Be filled with My peace and directions from My Word and My presence will precede you.  Watch, pray, and rest in Me for I am the author and finisher of Your faith. (Hebrews 12:2)  Watch, trust, rest for in so doing My Shekinah Glory will be made manifest in you and through you.  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!”

Some have said that when we work, God rests.  When we rest (in God) God works!!  Why did God rest after He had created everything?  I believe because He was finished and He wanted to enjoy His creation.  After a painter paints a masterpiece, would he or she not stop and admire the beautiful painting?

When we completely surrender to God, He will do what only He can do.  Yes, we need to do our part for the most part depending on the need, but when we rest in God, He takes over and does it His way.  I can’t tell you how many times I have prayed to the Lord about something and I have said these words, “Lord, I rest in You,” and the problem many times worked out without any intervention on my part.  Sometimes it was a small problem and sometimes it was a much bigger problem.

 So don’t be restless when you encounter a problem.  If you rest, less, in Him, then you won’t find true rest.  In other words, resting in God means that you trust Him completely and you will find peace and strength to carry any burden that you are carrying.  Remember the scripture,
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”   Matthew 11:30 (KJV) 

A Prayer for Rest by Rachel Wojo

Dear Father,

This world seems to move faster and faster
And I’m trying to keep up.
But God, in the whirlwind,
Instead I get caught up.
Like an unbeatable force it pulls me in
But I know eventually I cannot win.
I must learn to rest in your perfect peace
And though good, let all endeavors cease.
Oh that my feet would mimic your pace.
So your joy would be set on my face.
Help me, Jesus, to slow down when you would.
Help me, Lord, to rest as I should.
Thank you for loving me just as I am;
Thank you that rest is part of your plan.
Amen.

Rest From Anxiety by Ashley Nicole

Father, I pray that You fill me with Your presence in this moment as I put aside worries, anxieties, and striving and pick up Your rest. I pray that You would grant me Your peace as I stop wondering about the how’s and why’s of life. Help me to remain focused solely on Your goodness. I seek after You and You alone. I surrender my heart and soul to You. I surrender my plans and my goals and my aspirations and lay them at the altar. I choose to seek those things that You place before me. I choose to seek Your kingdom. I know that You will provide everything I need to do Your will. Amen

 Marcella Ward   September 11, 2024   Author of "Stolen Identity: Plan of the Evil One"

 

 

                                                        A MESSAGE OF GOD’S LOVE FOR YOU

 

Marcella Ward   August 28, 2024

God is our Creator.  He is a compassionate and loving Father.  God as Father is the epitome of who God is.  God loved us so much that He gave His only Son to die for us so that we can be saved.  God still wants to be in relationship with us because He loves us so much!

God’s love is unconditional.  There isn’t anything that we can do that would separate us from His love.  Even though our earthly father may abandon us, God will never leave us or forsake us!

The following Bible verses express God’s love for you.  Read them as if God Himself is speaking to you.

Top Bible Verses about God's Love    (ESV)

Romans 5:8 - But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

1 John 4:16 - So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Romans 8:37-39 - No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 3:1 - See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Zephaniah 3:17 - The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Ephesians 2:4-5 - But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved

1 John 4:19   We love because he first loved us.

John 15:13     Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Jeremiah 31:3  The Lord appeared to him^[a] from far away.  I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.

 

Prayer To Stay In The Center Of God's Love

Dear Lord, help us never to forget that the safest place in a fallen world is to remain in the center of Your will, no matter where we are, who we are with or what circumstances may seem to be looming on the horizon. I pray, that I may stay in the center of your perfect will each day of my life, and that I may walk worthy of my calling and live in a way that is pleasing to You.

May I learn to walk by faith each moment of the day and not be swayed by sight or feelings or emotions, and may I learn to trust Your Word more and more with each passing day, knowing that without faith it is impossible to please You. For it is my heart's desire that in all I do and say, I may be pleasing in Your sight.

Help me not only to do what is good and acceptable in Your eyes but help me to speak and think aright. May I live in a right relationship with You, walk humbly before You all the days of my life and I pray that I may develop an attitude of grateful praise and thanksgiving. Help me to water all that I say and do with prayer and may my actions and attitudes be rooted in Your love and surrounded by Your grace.

Oh Lord, I pray that the words of my mouth be pleasing and acceptable to You, and that my conversation be always full of grace and seasoned with salt. Grant me wisdom I pray, to know how best to answer everyone with whom I come in contact, in love but without compromise. This I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen.

Source: https://prayer.knowing-jesus.com/Prayers-about-the-Love-of-God#:~:text=Thank%20You%2C%20for%20the%20truth%20it%20contains%20and,grace%20through%20faith%20in%20the%20Lord%20Jesus%20Christ.

 

GOD’S LOVE FOR YOU IS EVERLASTING.  HE LOVES YOU WITH THE HEART OF A FATHER.  DON’T ABANDON HIM BUT COME TO HIM AND HE WILL ACCEPT YOU AND LOVE YOU FOREVER!!

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  (NIV)

Pray This Prayer for Salvation: 

Lord, I admit I am a sinner. I need and want Your forgiveness. I accept Your death as the penalty for my sin and recognize that Your mercy and grace is a gift You offer to me because of Your great love, not based on anything I have done. Cleanse me and make me Your child. By faith I receive You into my heart as the Son of God and as Savior and Lord of my life. From now on, help me live for You, with You in control.
In Your precious name, Amen

Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff Crosswalk.com  March 29, 2022

 Marcella Ward   August 28, 2024   Author of Stolen Identity: Plan of the Evil One”

 

 

 

 

                                                             VICTORY OVER EVIL

 

Marcella Ward     August 21, 2024

 

YOU HAVE ENTERED INTO UNPRECEDENTED TIMES          JULIE GREEN

Date Word Received: August 7, 2024

Watch video - published August 8, 2024

“My children, you have entered into unprecedented times. Things you cannot explain will happen. Things you thought you would never see, you are about to see. Your Nation will experience something it has never experienced to this degree. Many things are about to take place for the destruction of the establishment and the chokehold they have had over My nations. Yes, nations, not just the Land of My Eagle. They have also done things to infiltrate and try to destroy My Israel. 

Your enemies will pay a high price because of the destruction and the death they have brought on Earth. Your enemies are about to fall apart and lose everything they hold dear, and they are about to go and hide for a time. They will try this again at the very end of days, but for now, this time is for you, My Church, to arise and take back all that belongs to you. 

Do not fear this time. Do not fear this shaking. Do not fear the unknown or what lies ahead. I am directing, leading, and guiding you to your victory. 

This great shaking will lead you into a great awakening where My Church will be cleansed, strengthened, and united. My Church rising is what your enemies are petrified of. They have silenced and suppressed you for long enough. So, My children, shout your enemies to the ground. 

It is time for great removals in the Land of My Eagle. It is time for a great political reset. It is time for My Church to take leadership roles and lead this Nation into its blessing and the power it was always designed to have. It was held back because this Nation was hijacked for so long. But it is time for the great release. My remnant, keep standing, keep fighting. It is working. Do not lose hope now. It is time for the giants to fall, saith the Lord of Hosts.”  (www.jgminternational.org )

   

August 14, 2024

SHIELDS UP!     Diana Larkin

“My Army of Light, did you HEAR Me early this morning telling you it was TIME to AWAKEN? It is TIME to MOBILIZE the WHOLE Army of Light. SHIELDS UP! I AM not calling you to DEFEND your land, I AM calling you to ARISE and to PURSUE the enemy until he is DEFEATED and you have RECOVERED ALL. PURSUE with your FAITH in Me and My PROMISES going before you. Go with DECREES and DECLARATIONS on your lips. Keep speaking into the atmosphere, ‘You have LOST; we have WON!’ Leave NO LYING REPORT that the darkness speaks GO UNCHALLENGED. Send forth My FIERY ARROWS of TRUTH into the LIES and watch them BURN and FALL to the GROUND. Call for My Host to JOIN you in PUSHING ASIDE EVERY enemy scheme and plan. Ask My HOST TO reinforce YOUR demands that the enemy RETURN what he has STOLEN from your life: your RELATIONSHIPS, your CHILDREN and GRANDCHILDREN, your FINANCES, your HEALTH, the TRUTH about history and present-day circumstances, and the EXPOSURE of the DECEPTIONS and LIES that hold people in BONDAGE—GIVE THEM BACK! Keep PUSHING HARD against the enemy until he is pushed into FULL-ON RETREAT and then DRIVE him RIGHT INTO THE JAWS OF MY FINAL TRAP. As you go about your daily life and responsibilities, allow Me to keep your spirit ALERT to this FINAL PUSH against the darkness. PRAY CONSTANTLY in the Spirit. DECREE and DECLARE.  WORSHIP with all of your heart. STAY CONNECTED to My PRESENCE so that you HEAR BATTLE STRATEGIES and are CONTINUALLY REFRESHED and STRENGTHENED in Me. In spite of all the FLACK, LIES, SMOKESCREENS, and THREATS of the enemy that he is FRANTICALLY launching, I AM telling you that you have the ADVANTAGE in this battle of DARK to LIGHT. Your warfare has BROKEN their UNIFIED FRONT and WEAKENED their DEADLY SCHEMES. Don’t get SIDETRACKED with all the DISTRACTIONS they will roll out; don’t get caught in MEANINGLESS DEBATES, and do not take the BAIT of OFFENSE because these all SIDELINE you from the battle I want you FOCUSED on. As long as you are partnered WITH ME, YOU cannot lose. SHIELDS UP—WE’RE GOING IN!” (www.dianalarkin.blogspot.com )

Diana Larkin

A Watchman’s Journal 

 A prayer for victory over evil:

Holy God, I come before you, overwhelmed by the vastness of evil in this world. It grows ever darker, and I need your light to shine ever brighter. Help me to stand firm, holding my shield of faith high in order to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Let your word go forth with truth and justice so that you would triumph over the evil in this world. Your power astounds and resounds and I wait in anticipation for your victory.  (How Do I Pray for Victory?  Jessica Van Roekel Author of Reframing Rejection Updated Aug 29, 2019)

  Psalm 18:47-49

New Century Version

⁴⁷ God gives me victory over my enemies
    and brings people under my rule.
⁴⁸ He saves me from my enemies.

You set me over those who hate me.
    You saved me from violent people.
⁴⁹ So I will praise you, Lord, among the nations.
    I will sing praises to your name.

 

God does save us from our enemies.  God will protect us and He will bring down judgment upon our adversaries.  We need not lose hope.  The best is yet to come because we serve a Mighty God who delivered the Israelites from the hand of the Pharoah in Egypt and we will see the deliverance of the Lord from evil.

Marcella Ward    August 21, 2024    Author of “Stolen Identity: Plan of the Evil One”