WHY WAIT TO RECEIVE A GIFT? THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GIVEN ALREADY! (DAILY DIET E-BOOK SERIES 02 DAY 05)

Thank God, God showed me His Word on the subject, so I knew I didn't have to wait or tarry before I could be filled with the Holy Spirit. I saw in God's Word that if believers in the Book of Acts didn't have to wait to receive the Holy Spirit, then I didn't have to wait either. I also knew that when I received the Holy Spirit, I would speak in tongues. When I told this Full Gospel pastor, "I've come here to receive the Holy Ghost," and he said to wait, I blurted out, "But it won't take me long to receive!"

 The church was having a revival service that night, and it was then already 6:00 in the evening, so he wanted me to wait and seek for the baptism of the Holy Ghost in the service. But I knew I would have to wait until after 7:00 when the service started. Then I would have to wait until the preliminaries were over. And then I would have to wait until the preaching was over. In other words, it would have been about 9:00 that evening before I could have gotten to the altar. 

But why wait to receive a gift? I have now been associated with Full Gospel folks for many years, and in all that time, I have never told anyone to wait to receive the Holy Spirit, or for that matter, to wait for anything that God freely offers us in His Word. If someone says he wants to get saved, you don't say, "Wait and come to church Sunday and then seek salvation." If someone wanted you to pray for his healing, you wouldn't say, "Wait." No, sick people want to get healed immediately, especially if their bodies are in pain. Salvation is a gift; healing is a gift; and so is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. 

Because of my obvious eagerness, the pastor said reluctantly, "Well, come on in then." I stepped in the door and the pastor said to me, "I know you can receive the Holy Ghost right away because we read about it in the Acts of the Apostles. But when you have to wait a long time before you receive the Holy Spirit, the experience means so much more to you." The pastor continued, "Take me, for instance. It took me three years and six months to receive the Holy Ghost. Oh, I waited and I waited; I tarried and I sought. Now that I've finally received, the Holy Ghost really means something to me." I said, "Well, poor old Paul didn't know that. I wish you could have gotten to him and told him about waiting. He didn't know that, because he received the Holy Ghost immediately when Ananias laid hands on him 

[Acts 9:17,18]. Paul didn't wait or tarry or seek." I continued, "But then, all Paul ever did was write about half the New Testament! Of course, he did more single-handedly in the years of his ministry than any denomination has done in five hundred years put together. But if you could have gotten to him and told him to wait for three years and six months to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, then maybe the Holy Ghost would have meant something to him too!" I went into the living room and knelt down in front of a large chair. I just closed my eyes and shut out everything around me, and I lifted my hands to God. No one told me to do it, but I just lifted my hands (that's pretty good for a denominational boy).

 I said, "Dear Lord, I've come here to receive the Holy Ghost." I repeated in my prayer what I had just learned from Acts 2:39 and Acts 2:4. Then I said, "Your Word says that the Holy Ghost is a Gift. Therefore, I realize that the Holy Ghost is received by faith. I received the gift of salvation by faith. I received healing for my body by faith. Now I receive the gift of the Holy Spirit that You offer by faith too." God Has Already Given the Holy Spirit: Believers Need Only To Receive This Gift There is something here that folks need to see: The Holy Spirit was given on the Day of Pentecost, and He has been here ever since! God hasn't given Him to anyone since the Day of Pentecost. God gave the gift of the Holy Ghost once on the Day of Pentecost, and He never took back that gift. 

Now it is just a matter of folks receiving Him. I can't find in the Acts of the Apostles where the disciples ever asked anyone, "Has God given you the Holy Ghost?" But I do read where Paul asked, "Have you received the Holy Ghost?" (Acts 19:2). In other words, the emphasis is not on God's giving because He has already done that. The emphasis is on man's receiving. In the life of Jesus, we see an example of man receiving what God has already provided — the Holy Spirit: "Therefore [Jesus Christ) being by the right hand of God exalted, and having RECEIVED of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost..." (Acts 2:33). Jesus received of the Father ". . . the promise of the Holy Ghost. ..." And after Jesus received the promise of the Holy Ghost, the Bible says He "... hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear" (Acts 2:33). 

FFT: The Holy Spirit is given already! He is a gift to you!

ACTION POINT: Reach out for Him in faith now!

INTERACTIVE SESSION: Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believe?