MY PARENTS WANTED ME TO RECEIVE the baptism of the Holy Spirit very badly. ‘They had people lay hands on mc everywhere we traveled and usually IN FRONT OF A CROWD. Talk about putting me on the spot! It caused me to clam up, then shut up! I had an interesting time watching them after they had received the baptism. I saw miracles and the release of God’s power like I had never even heard about.
I want to tell you of some of the things that happened to my parents during this time. ‘They would go to a church service, come home, and tell me ALL about it. They demonstrated what they saw by dancing and praising God with tambourines and other kinds of worship items, then singing in the spirit. ‘They would get the pans out of the kitchen and bang them with wooden spoons like tambourines and sing. Their voices were not the best! Then I asked myself, “Do I really want this?”
I can laugh about it now, but then I was WAY concerned for them because it appeared to me that
they had lost their minds. I tried and tried to speak in tongues.
About this time I went off to Oral Roberts University. The first year there I did NOT have the baptism. I came home from school for the summer and was so frustrated. I wanted it so bad. I went into the room where I was sleeping. I lay down and I said to God, “If this is of you, I want it. I want ALL you have for me.” Just as I finished that prayer the language started to flow. It flowed and flowed and flowed. It was May 16, 1973. I was so excited the date got branded in my mind.
I prayed for hours. It was such a special time for me and the Lord. No one laid hands on me and no one STARED at me. It was just God and me alone together. From that moment on, I felt His presence like never before. I could communicate in His language and pray according to His will, not mine.
‘This day changed my life forever. I received the power that I had longed to receive from Him—to see the blind see, the lame walk, the hurting healed, and so much more.
I went to the Philippines with my mom and dad around 1977 and at the time I was a quiet timid person. When Mom and Dad ministered the baptism, they always wanted me to pray with those who were receiving. One night while I was praying in the spirit with those receiving, a man came up to me to let me know I had given the plan of salvation in perfect Hebrew. It was overwhelming to me to hear that.
There will be times when unusual things like this
happen. God may choose to use this gift in unique ways. However, most of the time tongues cannot be understood by the human mind.
In Mark 16:17, Jesus commanded us all to speak in tongues, so that is what we wanted every- 54 one to do. Jesus also said,
“Go therefore... teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” — Matthew 28:19,20
The Great Commission is a command, not a suggestion, for us to GO AND DO! That also means that we need to be able to teach and equip the saints to minister the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
We studied everything we could about how the baptism was ministered in the New Testament. Jesus ministered directly to people without laying hands on them. Paul ministered by the laying on of hands. We have done both and it works either way. We have ministered to forty or fifty thousand people at one time. There is no way we could lay hands on that many people, but they received the same Holy Spirit anyway because Jesus is the Baptizer.
We discovered that when we instructed people in simple language the way we were, that hungry Christians would receive the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues just as we had. The Bible tells us:
“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. —John 7:38-39
We discovered that when we removed the mystique and misunderstanding that had entered into the minds of many about what God wants to do for us as believers, that it would simplify their receiving from the Holy Spirit Jesus worked in the supernatural in a very natural, non-religious way. As we share how to receive and minister the Holy Spirit, we make a specific effort to help people to relax. We are simply vessels used by God to release the supernatural in the lives of others.
Our way of ministering the Holy Spirit is not the only way. If you do things differently and it works for you, continue doing what has been effective for you. However, we have seen millions of people receive the Holy Spirit. So if we can help you through this booklet, then please adopt any part or all of what you learn here and work together with us to equip the saints to do the works Jesus commanded.
You are the one to whom we are ministering now, so visualize yourself either receiving the min istr of the Holy Spirit or ministering to someone else as you read the next chapter.