Holy Spirit Baptism

What it is: A Promise;

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the promise spoken of in God's word in the book of

Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

 A Separate Experience:

Many denominations teach that the Holy Spirit Baptism is received when one is born again and that that is all of the Holy Ghost any one can have. This simply is not true. While the baptism of the Holy Ghost can occur simultaneously with the new birth experience it is most often a separate experience apart from the new birth experience and is most often evidenced with the speaking in tongues we read about in the bible.  

Look here in Acts 19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. (KJV)

In the above passage Paul is speaking to certain disciples at Ephesus who have been baptized with the baptism of John the Baptist, but have not yet received the Holy Ghost. When Paul asked them if they had received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost they replied that they knew nothing regarding the Holy Ghost and Paul after teaching them on the matter laid hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues and prophesied. 

My Personal Experience:

I was saved "born again" as a young child at about age 7 or 8 after going forward to answer the alter call to receive Jesus in church one day. It was many  years later when I finally truly surrendered my life to the Lord at the age of 25 that I received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. I was laying on the couch when I prayed and surrendered my life to God completely and told him that he could do whatever he chose to do with my life. I asked him to come and live in me and gave him my life to use me however he chose. I prefer at this time not to mention the details of the experience I had with the Lord that day because it was quite a dramatic event in that God manifested Himself in my life that day in a wonderful way.  

      The reason I choose to leave out the details and yet make mention of it is to say this, Some people when receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost report having physically felt the presence of the Holy Ghost often times as being a warm feeling that floods their inner most being, with the gift of tongues immediately following, while others report feeling nothing at all and yet equally received both the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the gift of tongues. Yet others report having received the baptism of the Holy Ghost yet were not able to speak in tongues.  

Tongues As Evidence: (true or not ?)

There are numerous accounts in the bible listed below where certain peoples received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and began to speak in "other Tongues"

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  

Acts 10:46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.  

A false teaching in the churches:

While the speaking of tongues is evidence of ones having received the baptism of

the Holy Ghost, the lack of speaking in tongues is not evidence of ones not receiving the Holy Ghost. Look at it this way, If I come in to your house while you are sleeping and while I am there I leave finger prints and other evidence of my presence you will know somebody has been there. But If I come in to your house and you don't see me or any physical evidence of my presence , that certainly does not negate the fact that I am there. Your inability to see or recognize my presence in your house does not change the fact that I am there. I'm still there even if you can't see any evidence of my presence. In the same sense many people ask for and receive the Holy Ghost baptism but are not able to yield to the gift of tongues and because of their inability to yield to the gift of tongues they think they have not received the Holy Ghost because of the lack of the "evidence" of the gift of tongues.  

Another false teaching: In some churches it is taught that if one does not speak in tongues that one is not saved.

Speaking in tongues is not required for salvation. 

We are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and not of works lest any man should boast. This teaching of tongues being required for salvation is utterly disastrous and is responsible for many losing faith in their salvation experience. We must come to realize that the two experiences salvation and the baptism of the Holy Ghost are separate experiences, which can but do not always happen at the same time.  

Speaking in tongues does not occur apart from the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. One must be saved " born again by the Spirit of God" prior to or in conjunction with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Luke 5:37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. Luke 5:38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.  

The Holy Spirit "New Wine" cannot be placed in to a vessel" old wine bottle" that has not yet been cleansed " by the blood of Jesus ". Once we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus in the new birth experience we are then ready to receive "the new wine" the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

 Who can receive the Holy Spirit? The promise is unto you and to all those who will believe.

Acts 2:39 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.

How do I receive the the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Quite Simply all you really have to do is believe that God will keep his word. Be willing. Then ASK! We receive the Holy Spirit by faith as we ask.

Luke 11:9-13 9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

God's Word says if we ask for the Holy Spirit he will give it to us.  

Does God Want me to have the Holy Ghost ?

  God has promised the Holy Spirit to all who will believe so it must be his will that we have the Holy Spirit. Look what Jesus said regarding the matter. John 16:7 ¶ 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. (KJV)  

Jesus spoke this to his disciples shortly before he ascended to heaven. After Jesus ascended into heaven the Holy Ghost was sent to man kind.
Acts2:1
1 ¶ And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;  

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.  

John 15:26 ¶ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

 YES  the Holy Ghost is for you too if you are a born again child of God.  

Do I have to have hands laid on me to receive the Holy Ghost?
No, you do not have to have hands laid on you to receive the Holy Ghost. There are numerous accounts in the bible where the Holy Ghost "fell" on those who had heard the gospel message and believed and had faith enough to receive the Holy Ghost.

   However for a number of reasons I believe it is best to receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. 
Acts 8:14
14 ¶ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.  

Why the laying on of hands ?

I recommend the laying on of hands for the receiving of the Holy Ghost because when the Holy Ghost is given the gift of tongues is given as well. Some people often have trouble understanding the gift of tongues and simply need help in learning how to yield to and recognize the prompting of the Holy Spirit as he gives utterance to the newly filled ( Holy Spirit baptized ) believer. It is helpful to have other believers present so that any questions one may have can be answered.

  Suggested Reading  

"Tongues: The gifts of the Spirit Defined"   Hope of Glory Ministries

"The Holy Spirit And His Gifts" an excellent book for new converts by Kenneth E.Hagin