Have You Received the Holy Spirit?

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.

And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. Acts 19:2-6

Here we see Paul giving the formula for receiving the Holy Ghost. First he comes across people believing the message of John that Jesus was the one to come. However, they did not know anything else besides that. It was not enough for them to merely believe in Jesus. They had to receive the Holy Ghost. They had to be born again to experience salvation from sin.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. Ephesians 1:13

Sure, you can grow up in a Christian home. You can have parents that drag you to church kicking and screaming every week. You can look the part or you can be very bitter against church, but once you come in to the body this way you will be different. You won’t care about anything but loving Jesus because he first loved you and gave himself as a ransom for you so that you would have eternal life in his presence. You may even still believe in Jesus yet still walking in sin. Or you may be a believer, but have not went on to receive this. Paul asks you, “have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?”

These men heard these and had never heard of receiving the Holy Spirit. So Paul then asked them unto what they were baptized. They were baptized, but by John the Baptist. He then explained that was not sufficient. They needed to be baptized in water the name of the Lord Jesus and then they would receive the Holy Ghost.

When the Holy Spirit came upon them they spoke in other languages and prophesied. This is the same formula that Peter gave on the day of Pentecost. Repent, believe on Christ Jesus, be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Speaking in tongues is not the evidence of the Holy Ghost, you may or may not do so. However when you receive it you will know that you have received it because it is an experience with God. We will cover this later, but every instance that someone received the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts they knew it happened even to where the people around them knew. It’s a sovereign work of God not something you can work yourself into. Just go in obedience to water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and you will receive the Holy Ghost, it’s a promise. Expect to receive the Spirit when you rise out of the water.

If you should desire to receive the Holy Ghost please let me know at demjas@gmail.com and I will make sure to find someone who can give you instructions. God bless you richly

Salvation

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38

After the apostle Peter’s cutting sermon on the day of Pentecost this is what happened;

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Acts 2:37

They were convicted in their hearts and desired to respond to the preaching of Peter. Peter’s response is so stunning. He did not ask them to pray the sinners prayer with him and “ask Jesus into their heart.” He did not put them through new believers classes. These are post-biblical construction. Peter told them if you desire to be saved then first, repent. Turn away from your wicked ways, leave them behind, change your mind from wickedness to the truth of the Lord Jesus. Next, he said to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. This seems very strange to us. Clearly we understand that remission of sins comes through the blood of Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:14 says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” Here we see that through baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ” we receive the remission of sins. True baptism acted upon by genuine repentance in the heart and then done in faith (“by grace are ye saved through faith” Ephesians 2:8) applies the blood to your heart. And the promise if you walk in this faith is to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Three steps to be saved according to Peter on the day of Pentecost;

1. Repentance
2. Water baptism by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ
3. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost

This corresponds perfectly to what Jesus told Nicodemus. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5 We must be “born of water” and then “born of the Spirit.” “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:5 This is a verse that corresponds to what Jesus said “the washing of regeneration” is water baptism and the “renewing of the Holy Ghost” is Spirit baptism.

In the English Standard Version notice what Peter writes, “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 3:21 Peter says that baptism corresponds to the salvation of the family of Noah through water. He says, “baptism now saves you.” This does not throw away the scripture that shows us we are saved by grace through faith. It’s nothing we can do that saves us. It is a gift from God period. As part of the process God commands us to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. If we disobey this command we do not have faith and thus Peter writes, “baptism now saves you.”

He writes that it is not as a removal of dirt from the body. Its not a physical bath you are taking but an appeal to God for a good conscience. As you have repented and you are responding in faith to the word of God to enter the waters of baptism you are asking God to give you a good conscience. Keep in mind it is not baptism that gives you a good conscience. Baptism is an act of faith that appeals to God for a good conscience. Only the blood of Christ gives you a good conscience. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14 The blood of Christ purges your conscience from dead works not baptism.

This is the simple formula for salvation. Most evangelicals simply state that salvation is to come by grace through faith as a gift from God. This is true, but you are missing the steps that the apostles taught the others to take. Paul’s first response to those who had not received the Holy Spirit (the new birth) yet was to baptize them in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:2-6) It’s important for our actions to correspond to the actions of the apostles. What they were doing was not simply for another age, but it was the gold standard for all of us to walk in.

Acts 2:38 Evangelism

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38

What we need is more Acts 2:38 evangelism? This is something that the Lord has really been pressing on my heart lately. I have gotten so busy defending the various doctrines that I have pushed to the back burner the central work of the church and its great commission to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” A church without a clear purpose of evangelism will become stagnant because they are not participating in what Jesus has called them to. They are many participating in evangelism, but not doing so with the proper formula that was given to us by the apostles.

After the apostle Peter’s cutting sermon on the day of Pentecost this is what happened;

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Acts 2:37

They were convicted in their hearts and desired to respond to the preaching of Peter. Peter’s response is so stunning. He did not ask them to pray the sinners prayer with him and “ask Jesus into their heart.” He did not put them through new believers classes. These are post-biblical construction. Peter told them if you desire to be saved then first, repent. Turn away from your wicked ways, leave them behind, change your mind from wickedness to the truth of the Lord Jesus. Next, he said to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. This seems very strange to us. Clearly we understand that remission of sins comes through the blood of Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:14 says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” Here we see that through baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ” we receive the remission of sins. True baptism acted upon by genuine repentance in the heart and then done in faith (“by grace are ye saved through faith” Ephesians 2:8) applies the blood to your heart. And the promise if you walk in this faith is to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Three steps to be saved according to Peter on the day of Pentecost;

1. Repentance
2. Water baptism by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ
3. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost

This corresponds perfectly to what Jesus told Nicodemus. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5 We must be “born of water” and then “born of the Spirit.” “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:5 This is a verse that corresponds to what Jesus said “the washing of regeneration” is water baptism and the “renewing of the Holy Ghost” is Spirit baptism.

In the English Standard Version notice what Peter writes, “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 3:21 Peter says that baptism corresponds to the salvation of the family of Noah through water. He says, “baptism now saves you.” This does not throw away the scripture that shows us we are saved by grace through faith. It’s nothing we can do that saves us. It is a gift from God period. As part of the process God commands us to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. If we disobey this command we do not have faith and thus Peter writes, “baptism now saves you.”

He writes that it is not as a removal of dirt from the body. Its not a physical bath you are taking but an appeal to God for a good conscience. As you have repented and you are responding in faith to the word of God to enter the waters of baptism you are asking God to give you a good conscience. Keep in mind it is not baptism that gives you a good conscience. Baptism is an act of faith that appeals to God for a good conscience. Only the blood of Christ gives you a good conscience. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14 The blood of Christ purges your conscience from dead works not baptism.

This is the simple formula for salvation. Most evangelicals simply state that salvation is to come by grace through faith as a gift from God. This is true, but you are missing the steps that the apostles taught the others to take. Paul’s first response to those who had not received the Holy Spirit (the new birth) yet was to baptize them in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:2-6) It’s important for our actions to correspond to the actions of the apostles. What they were doing was not simply for another age, but it was the gold standard for all of us to walk in.

Doctrine of Christ Continued

This is another post from the discussion board on Facebook. I’m posting this because it is something that I feel is very overlooked, but also very important for us to grasp.

Francis wrote, “Tell me who was speaking to Moses from the midst of the Burning bush or at other times from the shekinah Glory, was it Jesus or God the Father? Or was it Elohim or the self existent one? Or could it be Melkizidek? Do you know or can you hazard a guess?”

It was the invisible, eternal God speaking, Yahweh or the self-existing one who reveals himself speaking to Moses, but scripture tells us, 
“2And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”

It was Yahweh speaking through the angel of the Yahweh or the angel of his presence. That was a pre-figuration of the Lord Jesus.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

This is speaking of the man that was born to Mary. Remember, they are gods to whom the word of God comes to. God told Moses, “you be God and let Aaron be your prophet.” God’s representatives are called God how much more is the perfect Son of God, who is the perfect manifestation of God. A Hebrew translation renders everlasting father as father of the age to come. Also, it is spoken of David that he was a father unto such and such people. That is, he is a provider. Jesus is the founder and the maker of the age to come. God created all things through and by his Son, his perfect image and manifestation.

When you look at Jesus you see God, also remember that the Jehovah of the OT is the Jesus of the NT. So the name of God has changed to the Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s important to have a scriptural balance to see both sides of the equation and understand the separateness of the Son and the Father as well as their unity. Both sides need to be there. What you are saying is correct, but it should be tempered with the other side of the coin, that there is a Father who is the invisible and eternal God and there is a Son who is the visible man who manifested God. The man has a relationship with God and because the fulness of God is in him he is God.

Jesus Christ is God, but that statement is understood differently than the Jesus-only, actually the majority of message believers are Jesus-only and the Trinitarian ideal. The truth of “Jesus Christ is God” is not in either of those ideas. It’s right there in the bible. 
Jesus is the I AM, how so? God was in him, the Son. The Son is not the Godhead, but the Godhead is in the Son. 

GODS_GIFTS_ALWAYS_FIND_THEIR_PLACES JEFF_IN 12-22-63 

37 They said, “He couldn’t be Deity and die.” The man, the body was not Deity, but Deity was in the body.

How is Jesus God? He that has seen me has seen the Father…the Father dwelleth in me, He doeth the works… Jesus is God because God was in him in fulness manifesting himself without any hindrance. God was perfectly manifested through his Son so that when you see the Son you say, there is my Lord and my God. However, it takes a revelation to say that without a Jesus-only or a Trinitarian understanding. 

The man is not the I AM, but the eternal Spirit dwelling in the man in fullness is the I AM. The Son began in the womb of Mary, the Godhead that entered him at the water baptism had no beginning. 

As far as the Father being a dispensation is there a scripture for that? 

God bless,
Jason

Preach the Gospel

I have a deep burden in my heart to see the gospel preached here in America amongst and through believers of the end-time message. Here is the reason I have this burden.

I have seen and heard of many people being so disturbed because someone presented them with William Branham and his ministry. They say something like, “the worship William Branham” or “they are exalting a man.” What a reproach this brings upon the word of God!

What happened to following William Branham’s example and preaching the same gospel that he did. Not just a powerless presentation of the powerful ministry of William Branham, but preaching the gospel with signs following. When I say the gospel I mean, the apostolic fathers’ faith, the original faith preached by the apostle Paul. I’m talking about water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, the oneness of the Godhead, the work of the Holy Spirit, the blood of Christ, sanctification of the Spirit, holiness living and salvation by faith alone. The mysteries of the scriptures are important, but people need to hear the original faith and gospel. I am seriously in prayer that the Lord would raise up a generation of brothers that would preach the word and not preach quotes of God’s servant or about the miracles of God’s servant.

As glorious and wonderful as the ministry of brother Branham was we are never called to lift up a man. We are called testify of God’s work, but not before we testify of the real true gospel of the bible and Jesus Christ. My hope is there would be a group of men raised up to preach out of the scriptures and not a bunch of quotes and statements piecemealed together. The gospel (that is the good news that Jesus is Lord and Christ, that he has raised from the dead and that through his name there is remission of sins) comes not in word only but in power and demonstration of the Spirit that faith might be in God and not in the words of men.

My hope is that the saints in America would be revived to this and would go out in our local areas and present the truth we have been restored to in a scriptural means and not as the seven sons of Sceva who said, “we adjure thee in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Many times that is what we do as we preach, “bro. Branham said this out of the bible and bro. Branham taught that out of the bible.” PREACH THE WORD!

I pray the Lord helps us all!

What is God Doing Today?

Is there a living God that speaks, works miracles, and manifests himself TODAY, or is

that a thing of the past or is it simply a myth?

Are you sensing there is more to biblical truth than what you are experiencing right now?

There is a message that God has sent to this generation!

The answer to these questions is in the Scriptures and that is what I stand for in this ministry. He is calling his people back to the bible and the apostolic faith. He hasn’t simply left it up to us to figure it out. He sent a ministry and vindicated His presence with it. So let’s go back to the Bible. I’m not standing for my own thoughts or ideas, but the teachings of the Scriptures, pure and simple without the interpretations, creeds and historical confessions of the church.

Please read through and find out more. But don’t just come to this site to read the articles. Get in contact with me! I’d love to hear your questions and talk with you about what Christ is doing today.

“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.” 2 Peter 1:12

Through the Holy Spirit we have been given the apostolic understanding of the Godhead, water baptism, the original sin, the new birth, holiness, predestination and the spiritual gifts operating in the body of Christ.

Water Baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ