Jesus had previously emphasized the need for the Holy Spirit to His Disciples in John chapters 14, 15, and 16. And He highlighted the importance of the Holy Spirit in John 16:12-15 by telling them they would not be able to 'bear" all that He could tell them until they were "endued or clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)

Consider Peter before the Day of Pentecost, when Jesus was arrested, Peter denied Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69-75) and after Pentecost, (Acts 4:13): When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were illiterate and uneducated men, they marveled. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

"The wind blows where it wishes." (John 3:8)

Foundation: See Trinity: Created in His Image for insight on how it is our spirit, not our intellect, that receives "the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding" from God's Holy Spirit.

(Derek Prince audio file: Covering and guiding the Scriptural and Doctrinal basis in receiving and Baptism of the Holy Spirit.)

Baptism in Water

Matthew 3:10-12 - "...And now the ax is laid to the root of the trees: therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit is being cut down and cast into a fire. I (John the Baptist) am indeed immersing you in water for repentance, but One Who is coming after me is stronger than I, I am not worthy to carry away His sandals: this One will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: Whose winnowing fork is in His hand and He will clean out His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff in an inextinguishable fire."

Water baptism is a public expression of repentance from sin and identifying oneself as being buried (die to self)  and rising to a life in Christ and Kingdom of God.

John 12:24-26 - I most definitely say to you, unless a grain of wheat would die when it falls to the earth, it only remains itself: but if it would die, it brings much fruit. The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it in eternal life. If someone would serve Me, he must continually follow Me, and where I AM there also will My servant be: if someone would serve Me the Father will honor him.

Colossians 2:12 - Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 

Romans 6:8 - Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Galatians 2:20 - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Philippians 1:21 - For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

(See Baptism in Water for detailed coverage.)

Wind, Water, Spirit, Fire

John 3:5-8 - Y'shua answered, 'Most certainly I say to you, unless someone would have been born out of water and Spirit he is not able to enter the Kingdom of God. What has been born of the flesh is flesh, and what has been born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'It is necessary for you to be born from above.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going: thus it is with everyone who has been born of the Spirit."

Genesis 1:1-2 - In the beginning God[i] created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was totally empty, devoid of all life, both animal and plant; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit[ii] of God hovered, brooded (moved), over the face of the waters.

Resurrection Sunday: The Appearance of Y'shua to the Disciples revealing the "purpose" He was sent of the Father: The Promise of the Holy Spirit

Luke 4:42-43 - And when it became day, when He came out He went to a desolate place: and the crowds were searching for Him and they came until they found Him and they prevented Him from going away from them. Then He said to them "It is even necessary for Me to be preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of God in different cities, because I was sent on account of this." (The use of the Greek word "epi" here easily reflects the what Jesus proclaimed. For example Mark 1:37 has "indeed I came for this." Or Weymouth New Testament: "for this purpose I was sent.")

John 20:19-23 - (Also Matt. 28:16-20, Luke 24:36-49) Then when it was late on that day, on the First Day of the Week, and after the doors were shut where the disciples were because of fear of the Jewish leaders, Y'shua came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." (Shalom aleichem.)

   And after He said this He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples rejoiced, because they had seen the Lord.  Then Y'shua said to them again "Peace be with you: just as the Father sent Me, so I am sending you."

   And after He said this He breathed[iii] upon them and said to them, "You must immediately take the Holy Spirit:[iv] Whomever you would forgive, their sins have been forgiven for them, whomever you would retain their sins have been retained." (See also Genesis 2:7, remembering this was before the "fall of man and sin.")

Luke 24:44-49 - And He said to them, "These are the messages I told you while I was still with you, that it is necessary for everything to be fulfilled that has been written about Me in the Torah (Teaching) of Moses and in the Prophets and the Psalms." Then He opened their minds and they understood the Scriptures: and He said to them that "Thus it has been written that the Messiah would suffer (Isaiah 53:5) and be raised from the dead on the third day, and repentance would be preached in His name for forgiveness of sins for all the heathens. Beginning from Jerusalem you are witnesses of these things. Then behold, I, Myself, am sending My Father's promise (Joel 3:1) upon you: but you must now stay in the city until you would be clothed in power from on high."

The filling or Baptism in the Holy Spirit vs. being Born Again of the Spirit

There is a difference between being born again by receiving the Holy Spirit and being filled by being baptized with the Holy Spirit. There is only One Way to receive and have the Spirit: To be born again of the Spirit (John 3:3-6) There is only One Way to be filled with the Spirit: Baptism in the Holy Spirit (John 1:33, Acts 19:2-7)  

As Jesus in Luke 24:44-49 indicated to His Disciples after He breathed the Holy Spirit into them, He said there was more to come, an infilling and Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures will come alive and the Holy Spirit Who "inspired" the Word of God, will "reveal" the Word of God.

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 - Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.   

Ephesians 1:17-18 - That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints...

Job 32:8-10, 38:36 - But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding. Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment. Therefore I say, Listen to me! I will also show my knowledge. ...Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or, who has given understanding to the heart?

Ephesians 3:14-19 - On this account I bend my knees to the Father, from Whom every family in the heavens and on the earth receives its name, so that He would give to you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened in power by His Spirit working in your inner man, to make the Messiah live in your hearts through faith, when you have been rooted and established in love, so that you would be able to seize, with all the consecrated ones, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of the Messiah that surpasses our knowledge, so that you would be filled with all the fullness of God.

Jesus had previously emphasized the need for the Holy Spirit to His Disciples in John chapters 14, 15, and 16. And He highlighted the importance of the Holy Spirit in John 16:12-15 by telling them they would not be able to 'bear" all that He could tell them until they were "endued or clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)

John 16:12-15 - "I still have much to say to you, but you are not now able to bear it: but when that One2 would come, the Spirit of Truth, He will guide you in all truth: for He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He will hear He will speak and report the things that are coming to you. That One will glorify Me, because He will take from Me and He will teach you. Whatever things the Father has are Mine: because of this I said that He takes from Me and He will teach you."

The "Promise" of the Holy Spirit

(Jesus did not "recommend" the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, He "commanded" it.)

Acts 1:1-8 - Indeed the first narrative I made concerning everything, O Theopholis,2 which Y'shua began to do and also to teach, until that day He was taken up, after He gave orders to the apostles whom He had chosen by the Holy Spirit: to whom He also presented Himself alive, by many convincing proofs, after He suffered, while He appeared to them for forty days and was saying these things about the Kingdom of God: and while He was staying with them, He ordered them "Do not go away from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which you heard from Me, for John on the one hand immersed in water, but you on the other hand will be immersed in the Holy Spirit after these not many days." Therefore indeed those who came asked Him saying, "Lord, are You restoring the kingdom in Israel at this time?" But He said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father set by His own authority, but you will take power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the outermost part of the earth."

[Acts 1:1-8 was 40 days after the Resurrection of Jesus and 10 days before the Day of Pentecost. Know also the difference between the Baptism in Water is where our body goes down and is immersed in water and we come up out of the water, while Baptism in the Holy Spirit is where our body is immersed from above "endued or clothed with power from on high" by the Holy Spirit Who comes out of you.]

Rivers of Living Water (That come only from Jesus.)

Baptism or immersion of the Holy Spirit is evidenced by speaking in tongues as the outflow of the Holy Spirit as Jesus declared:

John 7:37-39 - And on the final Sabbath day of the feast Y'shua stood and cried out saying, "If anyone would thirst he must continually come to Me (Matthew 11:28, John 6:65) and he must continually drink. The one who believes in Me, just as the Scripture said*, rivers of living water will flow out from his inner being.[v]" (*Proverbs 18:4, Isaiah 58:11, Job 32:18-19) And He said this about the Spirit, which those who believed in Him were about to take: for the Spirit was not yet given, because Y'shua was not yet glorified.

Pentecost Sunday: The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:1-4 - And when the day of Shavuot (Pentecost) had come they[vi] were all in one place together. And a sound came suddenly out of heaven as bringing a violent wind and it filled the whole House where they were sitting and dividing tongues like fire were seen by them and the flames sat upon each one of them, and all were filled by the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages just as the Spirit was giving them to speak out boldly.

Acts 2:32-35 - God resurrected this Y'shua, of which we all are witnesses: therefore since He has been raised to the right hand of God, and has taken the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He poured this out which also you are seeing and hearing. For David was not raised into the heavens, but he says, "The Lord said to My Lord, You must sit at My right hand, until I would have put Your enemies under Your feet." (Psalms 110:1)

Hebrews 12:29 - For our God is a consuming fire. (Deuteronomy 4:24, 9:3)

Recall John 7:37-39. With the immersion and Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit descends and fills to overflowing. And in Matthew 12:34 Jesus said "For the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart."

New Testament experiences where Born Again and Baptism in Water still needed to be filled by Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The Gospel Preached in Samaria

Acts 8:9-24 - And a certain man named Simon was amazing the people of Samaria, practicing magic arts in the city and saying that he was someone great, whom all from least to great were following saying, "This one is the power of god called 'Great.'" And they were paying close attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them by his magic arts. But when they believed in Philip's preaching concerning the Kingdom of God and the name Y'shua Messiah, then both men and women were being immersed (Baptism in water). And even Simon himself believed and, after he was immersed, he was attaching himself to Philip, and he was amazed when he saw that there were signs and great miracles.

    And when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans welcomed the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they went down from Jerusalem, prayed on their behalf to the end that they would take the Holy Spirit: for not yet was it fallen upon any of them, but they were only being immersed in the name of the Lord Y'shua. Then Peter and John were laying hands on them and they were taking the Holy Spirit.

    And when Simon saw that the Spirit was given by the laying on of the hands of the apostles, he offered them gifts saying, "Now you must immediately give me this authority so that if I would lay hands on someone he would take the Holy Spirit.' And Peter said to him, "May your silver be destroyed with you because you believe the gift of God is acquired by money: neither is there for you any part nor any share in this message, for your heart is not right before God. Therefore you must immediately repent from this evil of yours and ask the Lord if He will really forgive the thought of your heart for you, for I see that you are in a gall of bitterness, extreme wickedness, and a bond of sin." And Simon said, "You must right now ask the Lord about me in order that nothing which you said would come upon me.'

Peter Speaks in Cornelius' House and Pagans Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and then were Baptized in Water.

Acts 10:34-48 - Then when Peter opened his mouth he said, "In truth I understand that God does not show partiality, (2 Corinthians 5:16, 1 Samuel 16:7 Deuteronomy 10:17, 2 Chronicles 19:7, Mark 12:14)  but in every nation the one who reveres Him and works righteousness is acceptable to Him. The message, which He sent to the children of Israel, when He proclaimed Good News of peace through Y'shua Messiah, this One, is Lord of All.

    You know the report, what happened throughout the whole of Judea, beginning from Galilee after the

immersion which John preached, as God anointed this Y'shua, the One from Nazareth, in the Holy Spirit and power, Who came through doing good and healing all those who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.

   And we are witnesses of all that He did in both the country of the Jewish people and in Jerusalem. And Whom they killed, by hanging Him on wood. God raised Him on the third day and caused Him to be revealed, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen beforehand by God, to us, we who ate and drank with Him after He was raised from the dead: and He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify earnestly that He is the One Who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify; everyone who believes in Him takes forgiveness of sins through His name." (Isaiah 33:24, Jeremiah 31:33, Daniel 9:24)

    While Peter was still speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell upon all those listening to the message. And the faithful from the circumcision who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit fell even upon the heathens: for they heard them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, 'No one can deny the water, can they, for any of these to be immersed, who took the Holy Spirit like we did?' And he ordered them to be immersed in the name of Y'shua Messiah. Then they asked him to spend some days with them.

Paul at Ephesus

Acts 19:1-7 - And it happened while Apollos was in Corinth, after Paul went through the interior parts he went down to Ephesus and found some disciples, and he asked them, "Did you take the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, 'But in fact we did not hear whether there is a Holy Spirit.' So he said, 'Then in what name were you immersed?' And they said, 'In John's immersion.' Then Paul said, 'John did immerse an immersion of repentance to the people, saying that they should believe in the One Who was coming after him, that is in Y'shua.' And when they heard they were immersed in the name of the Lord Y'shua, and when Paul laid his hands upon them the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they were speaking in tongues and they were prophesying. And there were about twelve men.

1. Thirsty - Ask Luke 11:11-13

2. Come unto Me - Jesus alone Baptizes in the Holy Spirit- "in no wise cast out"

3. Drink - you have to open your mouth - Breath in

4. Release the outflow - out of his belly - speak, not in your language, but in an "unknown tongue" in faith.

Supernatural inflow of the Holy Spirit produces a supernatural outflow from your spirit.

Satan's objections

That's not real - but Scripture believe the Word of God. God created us with free will, and we must be willing.

Is it the right thing? - We asked and God guaranteed in Luke 11:11-13 - faith in what God has said and promised

See Baptism in the Holy Spirit for additional coverage.