Introduction:
Almost two thousand years have passed since the Holy Spirit fell on the waiting believers on one fateful day. That day was a special day as it was a feast day, the day of Pentecost (Shavuot in Hebrew). This feast not only celebrated the ending of the harvest season (which began with the Feast of Firstfruits seven weeks earlier, 50 days to be exact hence the Greek word for "fiftieth"), it commemorated the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. Time and again in Scripture, God uses special days to fulfill his promises. Scripture is also ripe with symbolism and themes that allude to these promises. The promised Baptism of the Holy Spirit is no different.
Just on the surface, one can see the significance of that day. On that day alone three thousand souls were harvested for the kingdom of God (Acts 2:41). Could it also be that on the anniversary of the law that God reached down with His hand and wrote the law on the hearts of the 120 who were gathered in the Upper Room (as prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-33)? Could it be that on that day God the Son, as Baptist, reached down and anointed those believers as priests in a new kingdom, the Kingdom of God, just as the Father had done to the nation of Israel in Exodus 19:6?
The significance of this feast day is just one of many elements that point, in a thematic way, to the promised Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This study will attempt to show several elements in Scripture that point to the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, hence the name "Elemental Charisma." By doing so, it is hoped that the participant will see an unchanging nature and purpose for the promised baptism. The Apostle James said it best "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).
Handout: (1) Questions to Think About (2) Mount Sinai and Mount Zion
Verse for the week:
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)
Questions to Think About
1. Does the Baptism of the Holy Spirit occur at a definite point of space and time? Does Salvation?
2. Is it possible to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation? For a possible answer look at Acts 10 and 19.
3. Why does it sometimes take a long time to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? Is it like other miracles and answers to prayers? If it is a miracle, how then does it differ from the miracle of salvation?
4. If Jesus is the Baptist in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, what does this say about its importance to the believer?
Light the Fire Ministries ©2004
