Many are not clear on the ‘new birth’ and the ‘baptism of the Holy Ghost.’ It is not essential to know what Knox, Moody, Taylor or anyone else has said – God’s Word is the ultimate.

In order to fully comprehend what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is, we must consider what the Old and the New Testament has to say about this subject. Unless we take the prophecy of Joel regarding this experience, we have not even laid the foundation. If we don’t consider what Christ and the Apostles have had to say, we are not basing our faith upon the Word of God. What was the first thing Peter did after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost? He went back to Joel’s prophecy. He laid the foundation to let the people know what had taken place Scripturally.

Jesus Christ, our Lord, said in John 3: “… Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Peter writes, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Pet. 1:23) The Lord Jesus Christ was born by the Spirit, was manifested in the flesh as the Son of God. Then the Holy Spirit descended upon Him from heaven, abiding upon Him (John 1:29–34), then put into service, fulfilling that which was written of Him and His ministry (Acts 10:37–38). Likewise must we be born of the incorruptible seed of God’s holy Word and accept Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, as our personal Saviour, acknowledging that the life is in the blood. That is why Christ, the Lamb of God, suffered and shed His blood to atone for our sins to reconcile us unto God and make a way for His life to come into us.

Bro. Branham speaks very plainly about this subject in his sermon, INFLUENCE ON ONE ANOTHER:

“Search the Scripture and see if it’s right! I told someone not long ago, they said, ‘Bro. Branham, I understand that you are ‘Jesus Only’. I said, ‘You understood wrong. I am not ‘Jesus Only’. He said, ‘Well, you baptise in Jesus’ Name!’ I said, ‘That doesn’t make me ‘Jesus Only.’ In the ‘Jesus Only’ doctrine, they baptise unto regeneration. I don’t believe in that. I don’t believe that as soon as you are baptised in Jesus’ Name, it remits your sins. I believe, Peter said, ‘Repent first’! Turn around, you missed the mark. Go back! Repent and then show it to the world that you’ve been baptised. I don’t believe being born again is the baptism of the Holy Ghost. It is not the baptism of the Holy Ghost, it’s being born again. We’re reborn by the blood. I mean, the life cell comes from the blood. You’re baptised by the Holy Ghost into the Body, but you’re born by the blood. Absolutely! You’re born by the blood of your father. I’m born again by the blood of my Father – of Christ.”

The same Holy Spirit leads us to repentance, bringing about the new birth and also gives us power for service. The Holy Spirit is also the anointing and the seal: “Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who has also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Cor. 1:21–22).

Many may be anointed, but only the elect are sealed with the Holy Spirit: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love … In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1: 4, 13).

The overcomers in every age are the elect, who will be at the wedding supper in Glory. They are the ones who hear the promised Word of Truth, they believe it and walk therein, and the Holy Spirit leads them into all Truth. They are the children of promise and inherit all that God has promised to His own. Therefore: “… Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30). “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:14-15).

Just as the natural birth requires a seed, so does the spiritual birth require the seed of God’s holy Word. Wherever the true Word has been planted, the Holy Spirit is present to bring it to life. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Tit. 3:5–6).

The promise to receive the Holy Spirit is given to every believer. Just before the ascension, the Lord Jesus said: “Ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:48–49).

After He gave the great commission, He promised to endue us with power from on High: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

You may ask: ‘How will I know whether I have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit?’ It becomes outwardly evident, once the Holy Spirit has taken abode in us. We bear the same fruit and have the same results as are recorded in the Book of Acts. One thing is certain: Just as those who were baptised with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost knew that they had received it, so must we have a supernatural experience in our day. Let’s not have any differences come up amongst us whether it is to be one, two or three experiences – let all our experiences line up with God’s Word. A Christian will not only long for the bare minimum of experiences with God, he will long for the moving of the Holy Spirit in his life daily.

Bro. Branham summarised it well:

“… when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you then have the new birth. When you believe on the Lord, you receive a new thought, a new life, but it isn’t the baptism of the Holy Ghost. See? You’ve got the new birth when you believe, you’ve got eternal life. It’s a gift of God that’s given to you through sovereign grace by accepting the gift that God is giving to you. See? “He that heareth My words and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath eternal life,” – has everlasting life; that’s the new birth, you’re converted. It means you’re turned around.

But the baptism of the Holy Spirit puts you into the body of Christ, subject to the gifts for service. It doesn’t make you any more of a Christian, it just puts you into the body of gifts. See? “Now, by one Spirit...” (1 Cor. 12), we’re all baptised into one body. Now, says Paul, there are different gifts, and in this body are nine spiritual gifts … You have to be baptised into the body, to possess one of these gifts. They come with the Body. But now, as far as having eternal life and being a Christian, you are a Christian the moment you believe. Now, that’s not make-believe, that’s truly believe on the Lord Jesus and accept Him as your personal Saviour; you are born again right there and have eternal life. God come into you.” (HEBREW BOOK, Part 2)

A true child of God will seek His face until his life is conformed to God’s Word and he receives the manifestations of the Spirit according to the promise. Paul writes about the nine spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 & 14. How should every Christian yearn for all experiences God has in store for us! Then there is no debating necessary, a deep peace of God and assurance comes into our heart as His Spirit gives witness to our spirit, that we are the sons of God. The time is at hand to earnestly seek God and pray that He renew us by the Holy Spirit, make us a new creature in Christ Jesus and fill us with the Holy Ghost. This is the only way for the sons and daughters of God to be manifested in t he last days.

The three experiences: Justification, sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Spirit make the new birth complete. Then when the Lord is about to do something, He has His chosen vessels to be used in His time and season. One must be careful, however, that we do not use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but on the contrary, the Holy Spirit must use us and manifest the very ministry of Jesus Christ through the various gifts.

Bro. Branham preached about the moving of the Holy Spirit in the Church of the living God:

“The Church was established on the day of Pentecost, and if God is infinite and cannot change ... His Church must remain as it was at the beginning. Do you admit that? The Church must ever remain the same as it was. But man has cankered with it, put their own interpretations in it. Don’t you ever try to interpret the Word of God! Say just what it says! I don’t care what it is. Just line up with it. That’s all. Don’t change the Word! The Bible says that the Scripture is not of any private interpretation. You have no right to say these things. We just have to read it and say exactly what it says and believe it the same way … I want you to earnestly contend for the Faith that was once delivered to the saints. Don’t ever let that faith drop! And the faith of the saints was not in creeds, not in denominations, not in church buildings, not in associations, but it was in the presence of the living God. They had faith to heal the sick, cast out devils, do miracles, all the great promises that Jesus made, the first Church held on to that. It was the life line.

Listen here! Listen close to what I want to tell you! The ever presence of the living God is the life line of any church or any bunch of people, the ever presence of the living God to perform and to do and to act and to live with the people, as He did at the beginning. If the presence of the living God brought ‘The Pentecost’ with power, with signs, with wonders, brought a people so full of the Glory of God, they shouted and spoke with other languages, and went as martyrs for the faith, let’s earnestly contend for the faith, until death shall set us free … that’s what the Church is. If it’s going to be a white Church, born again without spot, without wrinkle, it’s got to be woven with the same kind of fibre that it started off with on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Ghost experience burning within them.

Now we take our churches today. Look at us! Look at our Pentecostal people! Look at our Baptist people, our Presbyterians, Nazarenes, Pilgrim Holiness and the Branham Tabernacle! All of us, we are guilty of not earnestly contending for ‘The Faith’. A little fuss can come up in the church, in the Branham Tabernacle – I am home, I can talk about you now – and they will form a little clique.

I believe there is a real genuine gift of the Holy Ghost, and we earnestly contend for that. Right! We believe it. Saints speak with tongues. You say, “I don’t believe in divine healing.” I don’t believe in fanaticism, but we do believe there is a God that heals the sick and He is the same yesterday, today and forever. I have seen so-called discernment I don’t believe in, but I know that there is a discerning Spirit of God; the gift of knowledge, that calls and speaks and it’s perfect every time. We’re earnestly contending for that Faith that was once delivered to the saints.” (PALMERWORM, LOCUST, CANCERWORM, CATERPILLAR 1959-08-23)

The Bible tells us what happened when the early church was filled with the Holy Spirit, “… they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind , and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

The Bible does not say that cloven eyes or ears appeared, but cloven tongues as of fire. This brings us to the acknowledgement of the righteous judgement of Almighty God upon our sinful nature. The human tongue cannot be tamed in the natural, because it is kindled by the fire of hell itself, full of deadly poison (James 3:3–8).

As children of God, we are to be put into the service of the Almighty. Before we can proclaim the great works of God, the tongue must be cleansed by the Holy Fire of God. Then the anointing comes down and we are placed positionally into Christ and the Church.

A two-fold miracle took place on the day of Pentecost. One happened to those who spoke with other tongues, as they were filled with the Holy Ghost, “… and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”, the other amongst those who were gathered and were ordained to eternal life, “Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”

Whoever receives the same experience will have the same results. The supernatural manifestation of God’s presence will be evident among us now as in the Bible days. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions…”

Dear friend! With the End-time Message, we have not by-passed Pentecost, we must go through Pentecost. We have not by-passed sanctification, we have gone through it and have gone on from there, the Spirit of Truth leading us into more Truth. May it become a burden to all of us to seek God, not a sensation, but a real Bible experience to make us ready for the rapture. In a true Bible Church, all the gifts and fruits of the Spirit are manifested in the scriptural order. May our lamps be trimmed and our vessels filled with the power of the Holy Ghost. If the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in our mortal bodies, He will quicken them.

Bro. Branham said (RESTORATION OF THE BRIDE TREE, Jeff. IN. 1962-04-22):

“First line: Justification, Sanctification, Baptism of the Holy Ghost, then the coming of the Cap. What is it? That Holy Ghost bunch being honed out, so that it can fit with the same ministry that He had when He went away; that when He comes back it’ll catch the whole thing in the Rapture, where they’re justified, sanctified, and have received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. That pyramid will stand again! The house of God will live again! The Tree of Life is growing again!”

Many are not clear on the ‘new birth’ and the ‘baptism of the Holy Ghost.’ It is not essential to know what Knox, Moody, Taylor or anyone else has said – God’s Word is the ultimate.

In order to fully comprehend what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is, we must consider what the Old and the New Testament has to say about this subject. Unless we take the prophecy of Joel regarding this experience, we have not even laid the foundation. If we don’t consider what Christ and the Apostles have had to say, we are not basing our faith upon the Word of God. What was the first thing Peter did after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost? He went back to Joel’s prophecy. He laid the foundation to let the people know what had taken place Scripturally.

Jesus Christ, our Lord, said in John 3: “… Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Peter writes, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Pet. 1:23) The Lord Jesus Christ was born by the Spirit, was manifested in the flesh as the Son of God. Then the Holy Spirit descended upon Him from heaven, abiding upon Him (John 1:29–34), then put into service, fulfilling that which was written of Him and His ministry (Acts 10:37–38). Likewise must we be born of the incorruptible seed of God’s holy Word and accept Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, as our personal Saviour, acknowledging that the life is in the blood. That is why Christ, the Lamb of God, suffered and shed His blood to atone for our sins to reconcile us unto God and make a way for His life to come into us.

Bro. Branham speaks very plainly about this subject in his sermon, INFLUENCE ON ONE ANOTHER:

“Search the Scripture and see if it’s right! I told someone not long ago, they said, ‘Bro. Branham, I understand that you are ‘Jesus Only’. I said, ‘You understood wrong. I am not ‘Jesus Only’. He said, ‘Well, you baptise in Jesus’ Name!’ I said, ‘That doesn’t make me ‘Jesus Only.’ In the ‘Jesus Only’ doctrine, they baptise unto regeneration. I don’t believe in that. I don’t believe that as soon as you are baptised in Jesus’ Name, it remits your sins. I believe, Peter said, ‘Repent first’! Turn around, you missed the mark. Go back! Repent and then show it to the world that you’ve been baptised. I don’t believe being born again is the baptism of the Holy Ghost. It is not the baptism of the Holy Ghost, it’s being born again. We’re reborn by the blood. I mean, the life cell comes from the blood. You’re baptised by the Holy Ghost into the Body, but you’re born by the blood. Absolutely! You’re born by the blood of your father. I’m born again by the blood of my Father – of Christ.”

The same Holy Spirit leads us to repentance, bringing about the new birth and also gives us power for service. The Holy Spirit is also the anointing and the seal: “Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who has also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Cor. 1:21–22).

Many may be anointed, but only the elect are sealed with the Holy Spirit: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love … In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1: 4, 13).

The overcomers in every age are the elect, who will be at the wedding supper in Glory. They are the ones who hear the promised Word of Truth, they believe it and walk therein, and the Holy Spirit leads them into all Truth. They are the children of promise and inherit all that God has promised to His own. Therefore: “… Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30). “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:14-15).

Just as the natural birth requires a seed, so does the spiritual birth require the seed of God’s holy Word. Wherever the true Word has been planted, the Holy Spirit is present to bring it to life. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Tit. 3:5–6).

The promise to receive the Holy Spirit is given to every believer. Just before the ascension, the Lord Jesus said: “Ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:48–49).

After He gave the great commission, He promised to endue us with power from on High: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

You may ask: ‘How will I know whether I have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit?’ It becomes outwardly evident, once the Holy Spirit has taken abode in us. We bear the same fruit and have the same results as are recorded in the Book of Acts. One thing is certain: Just as those who were baptised with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost knew that they had received it, so must we have a supernatural experience in our day. Let’s not have any differences come up amongst us whether it is to be one, two or three experiences – let all our experiences line up with God’s Word. A Christian will not only long for the bare minimum of experiences with God, he will long for the moving of the Holy Spirit in his life daily.

Bro. Branham summarised it well:

“… when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you then have the new birth. When you believe on the Lord, you receive a new thought, a new life, but it isn’t the baptism of the Holy Ghost. See? You’ve got the new birth when you believe, you’ve got eternal life. It’s a gift of God that’s given to you through sovereign grace by accepting the gift that God is giving to you. See? “He that heareth My words and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath eternal life,” – has everlasting life; that’s the new birth, you’re converted. It means you’re turned around.

But the baptism of the Holy Spirit puts you into the body of Christ, subject to the gifts for service. It doesn’t make you any more of a Christian, it just puts you into the body of gifts. See? “Now, by one Spirit...” (1 Cor. 12), we’re all baptised into one body. Now, says Paul, there are different gifts, and in this body are nine spiritual gifts … You have to be baptised into the body, to possess one of these gifts. They come with the Body. But now, as far as having eternal life and being a Christian, you are a Christian the moment you believe. Now, that’s not make-believe, that’s truly believe on the Lord Jesus and accept Him as your personal Saviour; you are born again right there and have eternal life. God come into you.” (HEBREW BOOK, Part 2)

A true child of God will seek His face until his life is conformed to God’s Word and he receives the manifestations of the Spirit according to the promise. Paul writes about the nine spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 & 14. How should every Christian yearn for all experiences God has in store for us! Then there is no debating necessary, a deep peace of God and assurance comes into our heart as His Spirit gives witness to our spirit, that we are the sons of God. The time is at hand to earnestly seek God and pray that He renew us by the Holy Spirit, make us a new creature in Christ Jesus and fill us with the Holy Ghost. This is the only way for the sons and daughters of God to be manifested in t he last days.

The three experiences: Justification, sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Spirit make the new birth complete. Then when the Lord is about to do something, He has His chosen vessels to be used in His time and season. One must be careful, however, that we do not use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but on the contrary, the Holy Spirit must use us and manifest the very ministry of Jesus Christ through the various gifts.

Bro. Branham preached about the moving of the Holy Spirit in the Church of the living God:

“The Church was established on the day of Pentecost, and if God is infinite and cannot change ... His Church must remain as it was at the beginning. Do you admit that? The Church must ever remain the same as it was. But man has cankered with it, put their own interpretations in it. Don’t you ever try to interpret the Word of God! Say just what it says! I don’t care what it is. Just line up with it. That’s all. Don’t change the Word! The Bible says that the Scripture is not of any private interpretation. You have no right to say these things. We just have to read it and say exactly what it says and believe it the same way … I want you to earnestly contend for the Faith that was once delivered to the saints. Don’t ever let that faith drop! And the faith of the saints was not in creeds, not in denominations, not in church buildings, not in associations, but it was in the presence of the living God. They had faith to heal the sick, cast out devils, do miracles, all the great promises that Jesus made, the first Church held on to that. It was the life line.

Listen here! Listen close to what I want to tell you! The ever presence of the living God is the life line of any church or any bunch of people, the ever presence of the living God to perform and to do and to act and to live with the people, as He did at the beginning. If the presence of the living God brought ‘The Pentecost’ with power, with signs, with wonders, brought a people so full of the Glory of God, they shouted and spoke with other languages, and went as martyrs for the faith, let’s earnestly contend for the faith, until death shall set us free … that’s what the Church is. If it’s going to be a white Church, born again without spot, without wrinkle, it’s got to be woven with the same kind of fibre that it started off with on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Ghost experience burning within them.

Now we take our churches today. Look at us! Look at our Pentecostal people! Look at our Baptist people, our Presbyterians, Nazarenes, Pilgrim Holiness and the Branham Tabernacle! All of us, we are guilty of not earnestly contending for ‘The Faith’. A little fuss can come up in the church, in the Branham Tabernacle – I am home, I can talk about you now – and they will form a little clique.

I believe there is a real genuine gift of the Holy Ghost, and we earnestly contend for that. Right! We believe it. Saints speak with tongues. You say, “I don’t believe in divine healing.” I don’t believe in fanaticism, but we do believe there is a God that heals the sick and He is the same yesterday, today and forever. I have seen so-called discernment I don’t believe in, but I know that there is a discerning Spirit of God; the gift of knowledge, that calls and speaks and it’s perfect every time. We’re earnestly contending for that Faith that was once delivered to the saints.” (PALMERWORM, LOCUST, CANCERWORM, CATERPILLAR 1959-08-23)

The Bible tells us what happened when the early church was filled with the Holy Spirit, “… they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind , and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

The Bible does not say that cloven eyes or ears appeared, but cloven tongues as of fire. This brings us to the acknowledgement of the righteous judgement of Almighty God upon our sinful nature. The human tongue cannot be tamed in the natural, because it is kindled by the fire of hell itself, full of deadly poison (James 3:3–8).

As children of God, we are to be put into the service of the Almighty. Before we can proclaim the great works of God, the tongue must be cleansed by the Holy Fire of God. Then the anointing comes down and we are placed positionally into Christ and the Church.

A two-fold miracle took place on the day of Pentecost. One happened to those who spoke with other tongues, as they were filled with the Holy Ghost, “… and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”, the other amongst those who were gathered and were ordained to eternal life, “Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”

Whoever receives the same experience will have the same results. The supernatural manifestation of God’s presence will be evident among us now as in the Bible days. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions…”

Dear friend! With the End-time Message, we have not by-passed Pentecost, we must go through Pentecost. We have not by-passed sanctification, we have gone through it and have gone on from there, the Spirit of Truth leading us into more Truth. May it become a burden to all of us to seek God, not a sensation, but a real Bible experience to make us ready for the rapture. In a true Bible Church, all the gifts and fruits of the Spirit are manifested in the scriptural order. May our lamps be trimmed and our vessels filled with the power of the Holy Ghost. If the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in our mortal bodies, He will quicken them.

Bro. Branham said (RESTORATION OF THE BRIDE TREE, Jeff. IN. 1962-04-22):

“First line: Justification, Sanctification, Baptism of the Holy Ghost, then the coming of the Cap. What is it? That Holy Ghost bunch being honed out, so that it can fit with the same ministry that He had when He went away; that when He comes back it’ll catch the whole thing in the Rapture, where they’re justified, sanctified, and have received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. That pyramid will stand again! The house of God will live again! The Tree of Life is growing again!”