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In my former book,\xa0Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach\xa0until the day he was taken up to heaven,\xa0after giving instructions\xa0through the Holy Spirit to the apostles\xa0he had chosen.\xa0After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them\xa0over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.\xa0Acts 1:1-5 (NIV)

\xa0On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command:\xa0\u201cDo not leave Jerusalem, but wait\xa0for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.\xa0For John baptized with\xa0water,\xa0but in a few days you will be baptized with\xa0the Holy Spirit.\u201d Acts 1:1-5 (NIV)

Baptizo = to submerge or immerse completely

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders,\xa0Jesus came and stood among them and said,\xa0\u201cPeace\xa0be with you!\u201d\xa0After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.\xa0The disciples were overjoyed\xa0when they saw the Lord. John 20:19-22 (NIV)

Again Jesus said,\xa0\u201cPeace be with you!\xa0As the Father has sent me,\xa0I am sending you.\u201d\xa0And with that he breathed on them and said,\xa0\u201cReceive the Holy Spirit.\xa0 John 20:19-22 (NIV)

I am going to send you what my Father has promised;\xa0but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.\u201d Luke 24:49 (NIV)

Salvation = Eternal life / the Baptism of the Holy Spirit = Power in THIS life.

When the day of Pentecost\xa0came, they were all together\xa0in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.\xa0They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.\xa0All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit\xa0and began to speak in other tongues\xa0as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

While Apollos\xa0was at Corinth,\xa0Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus.\xa0There he found some disciples\xa0and asked them, \u201cDid you receive the Holy Spirit\xa0when\xa0you believed?\u201d Acts 19:1-6 (NIV)

They answered, \u201cNo, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.\u201d So Paul asked, \u201cThen what baptism did you receive? \u201dJohn\u2019s baptism,\u201d they replied. Paul said, \u201cJohn\u2019s baptism\xa0was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.\u201d\xa0Acts 19:1-6 (NIV)

On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.\xa0When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them,\xa0and they spoke in tongues\xa0and prophesied. Acts 19:1-6 (NIV)

1. To Communicate the Gospel to other Nationalities

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit\xa0and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing\xa0Jews from every nation under heaven.\xa0When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.\xa0Utterly amazed,\xa0they asked: \u201cAren\u2019t all these who are speaking Galileans?\xa0Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Acts 2:4-8 (NIV)

1. To Personally Communicate with God

For anyone who speaks in a tongue\xa0does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them;\xa0they utter mysteries\xa0by the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:2 (NIV)

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays,\xa0but my mind is unfruitful.\xa0So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit,\xa0but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing\xa0with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 (NIV)

1. To Strengthen other Believers

I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,\xa0but I would rather have you prophesy.\xa0The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified. 1 Corinthians 14:5 (NIV)

To Strengthen Ourselves

A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. 1 Corinthians 14:4 (NLT)

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit\u2026 Jude 20 (NLT)

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,\xa0but with a demonstration of the Spirit\u2019s power,\xa0so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God\u2019s power. 1 Corinthians 2:1-10 (NIV)

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,\xa0but not the wisdom of this age\xa0or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.\xa0No, we declare God\u2019s wisdom, a mystery\xa0that has been hidden\xa0and that God destined for our glory before time began\u2026 1 Corinthians 2:1-10 (NIV)

Glory = the fullness of God

\u201cNo eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.\u201d 1 Corinthians 2:1-10 (NIV)

But\xa0it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God\u2019s deep secrets. 1 Corinthians 2:1-10 (NIV)

1. Remove the Barriers
2. Request
3. Receive
4. Release\xa0

The Holy Spirit\u2019s goal is not to make you WEIRD, but to make you POWERFUL.

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