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You Have Access to the Most Powerful Tool in the Earth — Part Two

Gary Keesee • Jun 05, 2019

Last week, I told you how you have access to THE MOST POWERFUL tool in the earth—the Holy Spirit.

Why It’s Critical That You Get It

Now that we’ve cleared up some of the crazy things you might have heard, or even thought, about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, let’s dig deeper. Because getting past the idea that it’s spooky or weird isn’t enough. Accepting that the Holy Spirit is a gift and that it’s for today is a step in the right direction, but that’s not enough either.

You need to know what God’s point was.

You need to know why it matters.

You need to know what Jesus said.

Jesus Said Don’t Leave Home Without It

In Acts 1:4-5 we read:

And while being in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which [He said] you have heard Me speak. For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with (placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus told the disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit. He emphasized it. He made sure the disciples knew it was critical. We see how critical they thought it was in Acts 8 where we read that Phillip went to Samaria to preach. Verses 14-17 say:

Now when the apostles (special messengers) at Jerusalem heard that [the country of] Samaria had accepted and welcomed the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. And they came down and prayed for them that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit; For He had not yet fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then [the apostles] laid their hands on them one by one, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

How important did the church think the Holy Spirit was in their lives? Did they say, “Hey, good for you that you received the Word of God, but listen, we’ll talk to you a few years from now?” Was that their attitude? Did they talk and say, “We’ll get up to Samaria at some point?”

No! Not only did they leave for Samaria as soon as they got word , but they sent Peter and John.

This was a big deal. They didn’t send some lowly, little guy there. When the apostles found out the people of Samaria had received the Gospel they sent their best guys there immediately to make sure the people got the anointing from God. They knew what Jesus had told them—they knew how important it was.

We see this urgency again in Acts 19 when Paul went to Ephesus and found some disciples. Verse two says,

And he asked them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed [on Jesus Christ]? And they said, No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

Notice Paul didn’t make small talk. He didn’t ask them if they needed money. No, the very first question Paul asked them was about the Holy Spirit. Why? First, Paul knew how critical it was to their lives. He also knew it was possible not to have the Holy Spirit despite being born again.

So what did he do? He shared the Gospel with them and when he placed his hands on them the Holy Spirit came on them.

Born Again and Filled with the Holy Spirit – Right Away

This New Testament model is shown very clearly—a person is born again and immediately they should receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because Jesus said it was critical. Notice that they didn’t separate the event.

You receive Jesus—you’re saved—and right away you need to get the Holy Spirit.

Today we say, “Okay. You received Jesus as your Lord and Savior. That’s good enough for now. Maybe a few months from now we’ll talk to you about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.”

They didn’t do that. It was essential. It was a separate event, but they took care of it immediately.

There is a Difference

We read in Acts 19 where Paul asked the believers in Ephesus if they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed. We also see several examples in Acts that show there is a clear difference between being saved and being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Acts 8, verses 15 and 16 say:

And they came down and prayed for them that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit; For He had not yet fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Right here we have evidence that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is different from being saved. People think they have everything when they’re saved, but they don’t. They need the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and they need it right away.

We see in clear black and white in the Bible that the people of Samaria had been saved but they had not received the Holy Spirit. The disciples laid hands on them and that changed.

We see it again in Acts 9 when Jesus blinded Saul of Tarsus before he became the apostle Paul. Three days later Jesus sent Ananias to lay hands on Saul. Verse 17 says:

So Ananias left and went into the house. And he laid his hands on Saul and said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, Who appeared to you along the way by which you came here, has sent me that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 19:5 shows another example. We read that the disciples in Ephesus were baptized in Jesus’ name. Immediately after, as we read in verse six, Paul laid his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came on them.

Why the rush? Why did Jesus emphasize its importance to the disciples? Why did he send Ananias to get it to Saul? Why did the disciples think it was critical enough to take care of it right away after a person was saved?

Because they knew something that we don’t know: t hey knew what was missing.

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Watch for Part Three of this post next week!

I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of God’s help in my life.

If you’re anything like me, and want to know as much as you can about how God works undercover using the Holy Spirit, I’ve got great news for you! I just finished an entire book about it. It’s called, Your Financial Revolution: The Power of STRATEGY .

I’m SO EXCITED to get this book in your hands!

Understanding how God works undercover using THE POWER OF STRATEGY is one of the single greatest keys to your success and victory in life.

It’s critical that you understand this if you want to capture the opportunities God has for you.

No more missing out on the great things God has for you!

5 Steps to Release the Kingdom in Your Life

By Gary Keesee • 10 Apr, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 13 secs – In John 6, we read the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Do you know it? It’s where we see Jesus teaching the disciples how to release the Kingdom of God into the earth realm. Basically, a large crowd was following Jesus, listening to Him teach, and watching Him perform miracles. It got to a point where the people needed to eat, and Jesus asked the disciples what they planned to feed the people. Of course, Jesus knew the disciples would freak out. They couldn’t feed 5,000 people. In fact, they started talking about how it would take more than half a year’s wages to buy just a bite for that many people. Jesus was teaching the disciples, and He was teaching us— the Kingdom of God has all the answers you need . How can you release the Kingdom of God into your life? Here are the five steps Jesus took. 1. Look at what you have. Jesus asked the disciples what they had to feed the people. What do you have in your life that you can give God to work with? Jesus multiplied bread into bread and fish into fish. What do you need multiplied in your life? Find some of it. That’s your seed. Also, remember that money can be named. You don’t sow money to believe for more paper or digital money. Money represents your life and can be named to be the thing you need multiplied. 2. Make sure you’re in faith. “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1, GNT). You have to know how to judge whether or not you’re in faith. How? Do you have the right picture? When you close your eyes, what do you see? Do you see yourself with the thing you’re believing for? Can you defend your position? Why do you believe it? Prove it! Because you can be sure that between the “Amen” and the “There it is!” the enemy is going to contend for it, so you better be able to defend it. Do you have joy, expectancy, and peace? Are you in agreement with your spouse? 3. Confess over what you have, and release it in faith. Be specific. Say exactly what you’re believing for and release the seed to God. 4. Get the plan from God. Be ready for new direction, new ideas, and new concepts by revelation from the Holy Spirit. Carry a notepad and a pen. Write everything down. 5. Act quickly! When God gives you the plan, MOVE! It’s wise to have counselors and get wisdom, but you need to act swiftly on any direction you receive from the Holy Spirit.

Want Growth and Success? Here Are 10 Steps to Help Take You There

By Gary Keesee • 13 Mar, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 34 secs – How can you make sure you’re equipped for the growth coming your way this year? Here are my 10 steps to posture yourself for opportunity and success. 1. Ask yourself how you’re handling your current responsibilities. Don’t run from your responsibilities. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you should be a success. People will still see the evidence of God even if you think you’re in the wrong spot. 2. Detox your life of the things that keep you from having time to think. We live in a fast-paced world. There are plenty of things that can keep you distracted. But it’s in the moments that you stop to think that you’ll find ways to solve problems, and that’s where the opportunities are. So figure out what is consuming your time. Start saying no to some things. Find time to think. 3. Don’t hang around people who are always losing. I know people hit rough spots, but if the people in your life are chronically losing, it’s time to expand your circle. Hang around people who are better than you are, who don’t see things as impossible, and who have vision. It may be uncomfortable for you, but their influence will cause you to think differently. 4. Write down EVERY idea that you have, no matter how strange it seems. Most people filter opportunities and ideas through what they perceive their ability to be. This means most people discard ideas by the dozens because they don’t think they can do them. But God isn’t limited to what you know how to do. The ideas He gives you might seem so weird to you that you can’t process them fully. Write them down so you have time to think about them. 5. Research. Research. Repeat. You don’t need to know how to do something; you need to know how to learn how to do it. Research until you find what you’re looking for. 6. Count the cost before you jump. A lot of Christians hear God and jump out too soon, resulting in catastrophe. There are seasons for everything. God will prepare you for where He wants you to go. Be patient. 7. Always be in agreement with your spouse. Never, ever march out into battle without your spouse being in total agreement and your faith aligned. 8. Ask God for direction. Ask Him to help you, to show you where to go, and what to do. And always remember that prophecy from other people shouldn’t lead you; it should only confirm what God has already said to you. 9. Commit to never quit. Quitting is not an option. Once you’ve moved, don’t move again until God speaks to you. Stay with it. Walk it out. Don’t quit. So many people have so much potential, but they get uncomfortable and they quit. If you want to win, you should always be stretching. 10. Get ready to embrace bigger things. Your ability to see the big picture will keep growing as you change and grow on the inside. You’ll pick up on even more opportunities. For more principles, check out this FREE video on success.

The Consequences of Strife: Why You Should Never Allow It in Your Life

By Drenda Keesee • 14 Feb, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 59 secs – A stuffed toy laid in the road at the scene of the accident. As we passed, the Lord spoke to me, “ Okay, this is your last warning. Are you going to continue this? You know you are opening the door to the enemy.” Gary and I had had a disagreement just before we had left the house for our family road trip. And there we were six hours in and we’d barely said a word to one another. Six hours. You think driving from Ohio to Tennessee is a long stretch of highway? Try doing it while giving someone the silent treatment. One word: torture. Then we passed the accident. Gary and I both felt the same conviction when we passed it, especially because it clearly involved children. But... pride. We knew what we were doing wasn’t good. (What kind of example is it to your children to ignore each other?) But neither of us wanted to lay down our pride. I kept hearing the voice of the Lord, and I’d think, No, I’m not going to fix this thing, because then I’ll have to talk to him. It was almost a competition to see who could hold our grudge for the longest. But strife is dangerous stuff. What is strife? Drama, conflict, friction, disagreement, bickering, arguing, bad blood, disputes… whichever words you use to describe it, it’s dangerous. Whether it’s between you and your spouse, you and your child, you and a friend, you and a family member, or you and a coworker, you don’t want to let strife remain in your life. The Bible says that where there is strife, there is confusion and there is every evil work (James 3:16). Our small argument between Gary and I had gone unchecked and had escalated, and neither one of us were listening to the voice of the Lord. And there were consequences for our strife and outright disobedience. About an hour after we passed the accident, a car pulled out in front of our vehicle, and we were in what could have been a very serious car accident. I started yelling the name of Jesus, and God supernaturally protected our entire family. Initially, it looked as though there were going to be serious issues. They told us our son’s spleen might rupture. I was pregnant, and the doctors worried that I might lose the baby. Through all of these things, we stood on the Word of God, and we all came out unharmed, including the young preacher’s son who had pulled out in front of us (he was in disobedience at that moment too). Even in the midst of this difficult situation, through our prayers, standing on God’s Word, and our children’s words to the medical personnel, we had opportunities to minister and impact the little county hospital we had to visit. The enemy tried to take us out, but he lost. We were responsible for opening the door to the enemy. But the name of Jesus is more powerful than our mistakes and circumstances, and that is what kept us protected. You MUST stay on guard and not allow strife in your life, with anyone. How? Here are just three quick tips: Bite your tongue. You don’t have to say everything you think. Don’t lash out or give the silent treatment. Work on communicating with others in a healthy way. Repent quickly and forgive quickly. Take responsibility; admit when you’re wrong. Say you’re sorry and ask for forgiveness. Don’t hold onto hurts. Forgive as you’ve been forgiven by Jesus.
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