THE HIDDEN MYSTERY ABOUT THE DAY OF PENTECOST (DAILY DIET E-BOOK SERIES 02 DAY 32)

 In Chapter 1, we said there are some who believe that candidates must wait or tarry in order to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and to be endued with power from on High. They use Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:4 to support this claim. Some have supposed this is the Bible formula for receiving the Holy Spirit. LUKE 24:49 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. ACTS 1:4,5 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but WAIT for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST not many days hence. 

Tarrying Is Not a Formula For Receiving the Holy Spirit 

It is true that Jesus made both of these statements to His disciples before the Day of Pentecost. However, if these verses were a formula for receiving the Holy Ghost, we would not have any right to take the word "Jerusalem" out of the text. Jesus told the disciples not only to wait, or "tarry," but He said to wait in Jerusalem. Why didn't He say to tarry in Bethlehem? Why didn't He say to tarry in Jericho? Because it was necessary that they wait in Jerusalem in order for the Church to have its beginning there. 

What were the disciples waiting or tarrying for? They were waiting for the Day of Pentecost to come, for that is when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Church. They were not waiting or tarrying in order to get ready or to prepare themselves to be filled with the Holy Ghost. If that had been true, the Bible would have said, "When they were fully ready, the Holy Ghost came." But it doesn't say that. Acts 2:1 says, "And when the DAY OF PENTECOST was fully come. . . ." That is what they were waiting for ¦— the Day of Pentecost. ACTS 2:1-4 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. 

Then reading in Acts chapter 8, notice that when Peter and John went down to pray for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, there is not the slightest hint or suggestion that Peter and John taught the Samaritans to tarry or to wait before they could be filled with the Holy Spirit. ACTS 8:14-17 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. 

The infilling or the baptism of the Holy Spirit has already been given to the Church on the Day of Pentecost as a free gift. To teach people to tarry for the baptism of the Holy Spirit only produces doubt and confusion in those candidates who desire to receive this gift. Rev. Howard Carter was the general supervisor of the Assemblies of God in Great Britain for nineteen years and the founder of the oldest Pentecostal Bible school in the world. He was also a leading teacher in Full Gospel circles worldwide. Rev. Carter has said that to teach people to wait or to tarry for the Holy Ghost is nothing in the world but a combination of works and unbelief. How true that is. I am not saying that tarrying before the Lord is always unscriptural. Certainly, I believe in tarrying before the Lord and waiting on the Lord in prayer, praise, and worship. 

Many times in prayer meetings we have waited up to five and six hours on the Lord in prayer. So I believe in praying long and waiting earnestly before God. Yet when I see people waiting and praying, crying out and agonizing to receive the Holy Ghost, it breaks my heart because I know it isn't necessary. In my Bible I have not been able to find any record where anyone ever waited, cried, agonized, struggled, or tarried to be filled with the Holy Ghost. 

Someone said, "But I believe in receiving the Holy Ghost the old-time way." Well, I do too. You can't get any more old-time or any more scriptural than the way the Early Church received the Holy Spirit in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. I propose that we look at the Acts of the Apostles, see how they did it, and follow their example in getting people filled with the Holy Ghost.

FFT: Tarrying before the Lord is scriptural, but tarrying for the baptism in the Holy Spirit is unscriptural!

ACTION POINT: Receive the Holy Spirit now!

(Share your thoughts about this post in the comment section below)