Acts 1:4 ASV, Acts 1:5 ASV, Acts 1:8 ASV, Acts 2:33 ASV and Acts 2:37-38 ASV

There are so many different words to describe the way that the Holy Spirit comes upon a believer: baptism, gift, receiving power, pouring out, filling. It means something altogether wonderful, a gift from God. I find it so encouraging that the gift of the Holy Spirit wasn't given just to those in the upper room but many different people throughout Acts. In Acts 2:38, Peter tells people in the crowd to repent and be baptized, and that then they will receive the gift of the Spirit. I wonder how many people today who have repented and been baptized, have a mental block when it comes to accepting the gift of the Holy Spirit. Even though we follow him, sometimes it's a struggle to let the Holy Spirit into our lives. In the past, I've struggled with what it means to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. I found it very comforting to find in scripture that it had a clear purpose: to help us be better witnesses of the gospel (Acts 1:8). When I searched for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, I didn't seek a Pentecostal experience or divine ecstasy, I sought the power to do God's will and invited him to purify me. More than even, I need to pray in the spirit, sing in the spirit, walk in the spirit, and live in the spirit. Glory to God for sharing with us this wonderful baptism into his Spirit. I couldn't live without it.