What’s Next?

Apollos only knew about John’s baptism of repentance and he did an eloquent and scriptural job teaching that at Ephesus. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God more accurately. Apollos went on to Corinth after that, then Paul came along to Ephesus behind Apollos’ ministry, and the first thing he asked the believers was, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They didn’t know a thing about receiving the Holy Spirit because it had not been presented to them by Apollos, nor did they know about being baptized in Jesus’ name instead of just having John’s baptism. Paul straightened it all out for them, baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus, laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit speaking with tongues and prophesying (Acts 18: 24 – 19: 1-6).

People have said, “I have heard the word, I have repented, I have rededicated and re-consecrated – I have done this repeatedly; what’s next?” If you want to go the Way of the Word, your next step is to receive the Holy Spirit upon your life. You say, “Well, I received the Holy Spirit when I believed.” Yes, the Holy Spirit did a work to present Jesus to you and you received Jesus by faith, and, instead of John’s baptism you were probably baptized in the name of the Lord. Paul asked the believers at Ephesus if they had received the Holy Spirit when they had believed. If they already received him, he would not have asked. Just like you receive Jesus by faith, you also receive the Holy Spirit upon your life by faith. The scriptural sign for receiving Jesus is for you to be baptized in water. The scriptural sign for receiving the Holy Spirit upon your life is tongues, prophesy, liberated praise, and boldness to present Jesus (Acts 2:4-13; 4:31; 10:46; 13:52; 19:6; 1 Corinthians 14:4; Jude vs. 20). Jesus “baptizes” or “immerses” us in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit so we can carry out the supernatural ministry of getting the gospel out to the whole world with healing, delivering power. “What’s next”, after repentance and re-dedication, is to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to do the supernatural works of Jesus in presenting the gospel to the world.

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