Step Number 5
Jesus was saying in this passage of Scripture, "If your child asked you as a parent for bread, would you give him a stone? If your child asked you for a fish, would you give him a serpent? If your child asked you for an egg, would you offer him a scorpion?" No, of course you wouldn't. "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?" (Luke 11:13). We can be assured that God will not give His children a counterfeit when they ask Him for the Holy Spirit. It is a different thing entirely, of course, when a sinner is seeking the Holy Spirit because the sinner cannot receive the Holy Spirit (John 14:17). But if a person who is a child of God is seeking the Holy Spirit, he is not going to receive an evil spirit. Notice that the words "serpent" and "scorpion" are used here in Luke chapter 11. Turning to Luke 10:19, we read that Jesus said, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. . . ." Jesus used the terms "serpents" and "scorpions" to talk about evil spirits. So He said in Luke 11 you are not going to get a "serpent" or a "scorpion" when you ask for the Holy Spirit. If you are a child of God and you go to your Heavenly Father to receive the Holy Ghost, then that is what you are going to get — the Holy Ghost.
When I have given these scriptures to those who have been misled by false teaching, I have seen them immediately begin to speak with tongues. They later told me, "If I had known that, I could have been speaking with tongues and could have known the fullness of the Spirit for many years. But I was afraid I might get a wrong spirit." Thank God, we can be relieved of our fears through the Word of God.
Step Number 6
Tell the candidate to open his mouth and be ready to use his own mouth and vocal chords, for the Holy Spirit will give the utterance, but he must yield and give voice to that utterance. At the same time the believer should tell God in his heart, "I am receiving the Holy Spirit right now by faith." I like to absolutely insist that people not speak one word in their natural language. And I will give Scripture further in this lesson why a person receiving the Holy Spirit shouldn't speak one word in his natural language. Then when the Holy Spirit begins to move upon the believer, I tell him to lift his voice and speak out whatever utterance is given to him by the Holy Spirit, regardless of what it sounds like. I tell the candidate to begin to speak the words and the language the Holy Spirit gives him, continuing to praise God and speak to God with those supernatural words until the language becomes more and more fluent.
When that person can hear himself speak in tongues in a distinct language, he will have assurance and confidence that he has received the Holy Ghost. JOHN 7:37-39 37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him COME UNTO ME, AND DRINK. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, OUT OF HIS BELLY [spirit] SHALL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) The Bible says the Holy Spirit will come to us as the rain. And Jesus said in John chapter 7 that we are to come and drink of the Holy Spirit. In other words, Jesus said receiving the Holy Ghost is like drinking water. That is, the same principle is involved. The point is no one can drink with their mouth shut. And in the same way, in order to receive the Holy Spirit, a person must put action to his faith and give voice to the unction of the Holy Spirit; he can't do that with his mouth closed.
Remember, the Holy Spirit gives the utterance; the person does the actual talking. Secondly, no one can drink and talk at the same time. I have seen people come to receive the Holy Spirit and open their mouth in faith. I have never seen anyone who opened his mouth in faith to receive the Holy Spirit who didn't receive as quickly as you can snap your finger. I have seen thousands upon thousands of folks filled with the Holy Ghost — preachers and pastors of every denomination, doctors, lawyers, school teachers, college professors, laborers, farmers, and people from every walk of life.
Once I saw five businessmen come down the aisle in one of my meetings to receive the Holy Spirit. They all opened their mouths in faith that they were going to receive the Holy Spirit, and they were all filled too! That's scriptural because Jesus said, "Come and drink" (John 7:37). If you will act on God's Word, He will honor His Word, and you can receive the Holy Ghost or whatever it is that He has promised.
FFT: Speak the utterance of the Spirit in faith and shun fear!
ACTION POINT: Be filled with the Holy Spirit now!
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