Pentecost - Part 1

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

Pentecost - Part 1 

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In our previous message we shared some thoughts about the significance of water baptism, which for a Christian should occur as soon as possible after being born again. By water baptism we do not refer to the baptism of John the Baptist who baptized in water unto repentance. Those two baptisms are two distinctly different things. John the Baptist's baptism was an immersion based upon the law. Water baptism for the Christian believer is an immersion based upon grace. Law and grace cannot co-exist. The law speaks of what I must "do." Grace speaks of what Jesus has already done. There can be no mixture of the two.

Now we need to understand the great significance of Pentecost ... not simply what happened historically some 1985 years ago, but what it means for Christian believers today. The subject of Pentecost is so important that we will no doubt need at least four sessions to adequately cover this topic. If you like titles then the title of this message is Cloven Tongues Like As Of Fire. Just a few days ago the Holy Spirit quickened to me to start the messages on Pentecost with this word.

Reading from Acts 2, verse 1.


1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Read Verse 1 again. When the day of Pentecost was fully come ... the day of Pentecost was coming, was coming, and then was fully come. Of course that day came in the mind of God before the foundation of the world.

Seven times in the Book of Acts we find the phrase that the early disciples were "in one accord" (Acts 1:14, 2:1, 2:46, 4:24, 5:12, 8:6, and 15:25). That was true both before and after Pentecost, at least for a season. But none of those verses say what they were in one accord about. We could all be in one accord about many things ... for example, we could all like ice cream or pizza. So with what or whom were the early disciples in one accord? The answer is found in Romans 15:6.

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6

The phrase "with one mind" may be translated as "in one accord" or "unanimously." So the early disciples were in one accord to glorify God. They were unanimous and walked in that unity of spirit. "In one place" in Acts 2:1 does not necessarily refer to a natural, physical location; it refers to a spiritual state of mind. The word "place" actually means "self." However, we know from Acts 2:2 that it also refers to a physical house. That must have been a rather large house to hold 120 disciples.

The Book of 1 Corinthians is largely a letter of correction that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. In that epistle, Paul addresses at least six or seven different errors or faults that had crept into the church. The very first error that Paul addresses is their lack of unity ... their lack of being in one accord. Paul in the first chapter exhorts them to be in one accord. Reading from 1 Corinthians 1, starting at verse 10,

10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

We know from Acts 18 that Paul had spent 18 months in Corinth, teaching the word of God and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. But in less than five years that church had degenerated into a state of carnality ..."self" had reared its ugly head and they had lost the unity of being in one accord. When any church loses the vision of being in one accord, that opens the door for every other error to creep in.

Now consider the visible Church today. The Bible makes it very clear that Jesus has only one body and that body is the Church. About 48 years ago I heard a minister say that at that time there were more than 500 different denominations, sects, non denominational churches, house churches, etc. in the United States. A few years ago another brother said there are now 10,000 different types of Christian churches. And probably every church will tell you they believe the Bible is the true word of God. What they are really saying is they believe their interpretation of the Bible is true. I doubt that there is any local church today when all of the members agree on every Christian doctrine. This is the time when every man does that which is right in his own eyes. Two times in the book of Judges (17:6 and 21:25) we read the identical word,

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Today, every church will declare that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. But in reality that is mostly lip service. There still is no king in spiritual Israel. Self is king. Have you ever wondered why there is so much turmoil, legal suits, divisions, etc. in the United States? The answer is obvious ... it is because of the spiritual state of the visible church. The earth has always been a reflection of the spiritual state of its inhabitants. For the past 10-12 years an increasing number of saints have spoken about what is "wrong" with the church. Few have spoken about what we must "do" to correct the wrong and even fewer walk in the solution. But the answer has been written in the Bible 1500 years ago. That is a topic I hope to share with you in depth sometime later.

One little part of the answer to what we must "do" is to look at the early church as recorded in the book of Acts 2:42-47. The very first thing the early church "did" after the day of Pentecost was they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. Ephesians 2:20 says that we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. Today most churches continue steadfastly either in the pastors' doctrine or their own doctrine.

Now some churches don't know what an apostle is. Others believe that Paul was the last apostle and that ministry no longer exists. Others may say, "Yes I believe what the Bible says about apostles but I do not know anyone called to that ministry. Well, how about the ministry of Jesus Christ who is our great Apostle and the great Prophet? Do you know Him? And how about the living word of God as spoken through Paul, Peter, John, and James? Have you read what they have to say?

Let us look at Ephesians 4:1-6,

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

11 And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: Ephesians 4:11-15

Acts 2:46 says the early disciples continued daily with one accord. Back to Acts 2 ...

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:2-4

If we compare that to when Jesus was baptized, "The heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him. And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17). The Holy Spirit came to the disciples at Pentecost like a fire (no subsequent or additional baptism in fire) but came to the Man Jesus like a dove (not like fire). A dove, of course, is a gentle bird which symbolizes peace. The Holy Spirit did not come to Jesus like a fire, because He who knew no sin became sin for us and died on the cross; i.e, sin was crucified on the cross. Jesus never needed the fire of God because there was never any chaff in Him that needed to be purged.

At Pentecost, the fact that the Holy Spirit came as cloven tongues to men also has great significance. "Cloven" means to divide or part, as in the hoof of sheep or cattle. "Cloven tongues" means "tongues distributing, or parting upon." The word, cloven, is mentioned only two other times in Scripture, in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, where it is wonderfully prophetic, as we will see shortly. Cloven describes one thing, but partly divided into two. There is only one Holy Spirit, but distributed to each man who asks for Him.

Two are better than one. The Lord sent His disciples out two by two. This also partly explains WHY it is not good for man to dwell alone, so the Lord made two (Adam and Eve) out of one (Adam). Two provide for checks and balances that one does not have. We also know that the tongue no man can tame (except the Man Jesus.) Jesus never "spoke in tongues," because Jesus always had pure communication with the Father. After our Pentecost experience, we mortals can speak in tongues because that becomes pure communication with the Father.

Let us look at the appropriate verses in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. Under the Old Covenant, the animals the children of Israel could eat or not eat were in the natural realm.

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.

3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you. Leviticus 11:2-3, 7-8



2 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

4 These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,

5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.

6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat. Deuteronomy 14:2-6

Under the New Covenant, there is no restriction on what believers in Christ may or may not eat. But the prophetic, spiritual principles associated with chewing the cud and clover-footed animals are still true.

7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.

8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.

9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. Acts 11:5-9

Cud is a portion of food that returns from a ruminant's stomach into the mouth to be chewed for the second time. Cud is produced during a physical digestive process called rumination. The idiomatic expression chewing one's cud means meditating or pondering; similar expressions such as "he chewed that over for a bit" or "chew on that!" have the same derivation.

The alimentary canal of ruminants, such as cattle, goats, and sheep, is not able to produce the enzymes required to break down the cellulose of plant matter. But the Lord gave these animals another digestive system, and for a reason. The process of rumination (or chewing the cud) is stimulated by the presence of roughage in the upper part of the first chamber in the alimentary canal. When the stomach content, or the cud, arrives back in the mouth of the ruminant, the solid material is chewed thoroughly.

Chewing the cud for us as believers means to read and meditate on the Word of God.

20 My son, attend to My words; incline thine ear unto My sayings.

21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Proverbs 4:20-22

Further, we must always read the Word and digest it more than once. The Word of God has many levels and we can never exhaust the complete significance for us. Several times Paul tells the churches something that they already know ... but he tells them again anyway.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:2

Consumption by ruminants of an insufficient amount of fiber leads to a lowered appetite which eventually can lead to death of the animal, and will occur if the animal is allowed to eat a diet with no roughage but high levels of highly digestible plant life.

We believers do not care too much for the scriptural "roughage." But when we feed on milk too long, including high levels of highly digestible words (such as all of the good things we receive from God) and neglect the "roughage," then, from 1 Corinthians 11:30, 

For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

That Verse says, "For this cause ..." For what cause? That comes from the previous verse ... not discerning the Lord's body. What is the Lord's body? the Church. Not only do I need to know what part of the body I am, I also need to know what part of the body you are. The very first message that I shared publicly in a Christian assembly was "Appropriating the Christ in Others."

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Timothy 3:16

We may like the use of scripture for doctrine and instruction in righteousness, but the reproof (rebuke, admonition) and correction part is not very popular.

It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

Further, still thinking about "scriptural roughage",


5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:

6 For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Hebrews 12:5-8

12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:12-13

Who did you exhort today? and who exhorted you today? Likewise, probably every believer is aware of Colossians 1:27, " ... Christ in you, the hope of glory ..." But who remembers Colossians 1:28?

27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Colossians 1:27-28

Please note that in Verse 28, "warning every man" comes before "teaching every man." That which is mentioned first in Scripture takes priority over that which follows. We charismatics put much emphasis on "more good teaching;" but how much "warning" do we hear? (And warning about what or whom? Warning should be about the result of allowing king Self to take over.) Also note from Verse 28 the difference between preaching and teaching ... we preach Christ but teach doctrine.

A cloven hoof is a hoof split into two toes. Mammals that possess this type of hoof are cattle, deer, and sheep. The two digits of cloven hoofed animals are called claws and are named for their relative location on the foot: the outer claw and the inner claw. The almost finger-like dexterity available to cloven hoofed mammals like the deer, mountain goat, and mountain sheep combined with a hard outer shell and soft and flexible inner pads provide excellent traction in their precarious habitats. All believers are exhorted to

Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks. Jeremiah 50:8

The cloven hoof corresponds to the cloven torgues like as of fire, which was poured out on the day of Pentecost (and on every day since then for those who desire Him). The cloven hoof represents the Holy Spirit. The hard outer shell represents the shield of faith (His faith). The flexible inner pads represent our heart, which must be tender toward God. We must identify with the heart of God. We believers live in a world full of precarious habitats, but the Holy Spirit enables us to walk with excellent traction wherever He leads us.

It is simply amazing how the Lord has built into the ruminating animals which have cloven hoofs such a detailed, prophetic word concerning His chosen people, His remnant. Partaking of the Tree of Life was never intended to be a one-and-done event. What an amazing, mighty God we serve!

The Lord desires to bring each one of His people to the place that He alone is our heart's desire. But we must cooperate. It is not automatic. In the message to the angel of the church at Philadelphia, we read,


10 Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name.

13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:10-13

Note in Verse 10 that the hour of temptation shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. There is no escaping that fact. The Lord has always and will always test His people. How can we be kept from that hour of temptation? Not simply be being born again, not simply by being baptized with the Holy Ghost, but by keeping the word of His patience (or endurance). How can we keep the word of His patience? only by being filled with the Holy Ghost on our day of Pentecost and remaining filled every day with the Holy Ghost. Jesus said,

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

Matthew 24:9-13 

May our hearts be open as the Lord prepares His people during these trying times. For we know that,

2 Corinthians 3:18 - "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord".

Change my heart Oh God, make it ever true, 

Change my heart Oh God, may I be like You.

You are the Potter, I am the clay; 

Mold me and make me, this is what I pray.

Pentecost (Part 2)

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

Pentecost (Part 2) 

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In our previous message we shared some thoughts about the critical need for unity in the Body of Christ and the place of our personal Pentecost toward that end. In this message we want to continue sharing about Pentecost. We want to share the purpose of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, the intended results of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, and some aspects of speaking in tongues.

From Matthew 3:11-12, we read,

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12 Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Those verses clearly state that there is a difference between John's baptism in water and being baptized with the Holy Ghost. In addition, the Feast of Passover corresponds to being born again and Pentecost, as we will see shortly, corresponds to being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is important to note that the Jewish feasts of Passover and Pentecost are two separate, distinct feasts, fifty days apart.

It is interesting to note that no scripture states that the first 120 disciples were baptized in water as a Christian. We will attempt to explain why that was so in our third message on Pentecost. However, too many professing Christians have never understood why they should be baptized in water. Then we have the verse in Mark 16:16, where Jesus said, 

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." 

That verse does not mean that unless we are baptized in water we cannot be saved. If the dynamite power of the Holy Spirit cannot save you, do you think that a little H20 will save you? Further that verse in Mark 16:16 does not say "baptized in water," and it does not mean that. It means immersed into the nature, the character, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our objective is not to be baptized in water. Our objective is Christ in you, the hope of glory. In Luke 23:43 Jesus, just before His death on the cross, said to one of the malefactors who was crucified beside Jesus, "Today you shall be with me in paradise." That malefactor was never baptized in water. However, as I stated in the previous message on water baptism, every Christian should be baptized in water, if possible.

The disciples had no real understanding until the day of Pentecost. Jesus confirmed the words of John the Baptist.


4 And, being assembled together with them, [Jesus] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me.

5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. Acts 1:4-5

In verse 4, the promise of the Father is the Holy Spirit, as proclaimed by Jesus in the gospel of John. There is a very good reason why the disciples could not be baptized with the Holy Ghost before the risen Christ Jesus ascended for the last time into heaven. But it is more appropriate to answer that question in a later message when we share with you about intercession.

16 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:16-17

That word was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. The events of Acts 2 transformed the Jewish festival into a Christian reality. Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2 is usually recognized as the time of the birthplace of the Church.

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4

We will have much more to say about the cloven tongues of fire in a later message. For now, let us remember that the Holy Ghost descended like a dove upon Jesus.

So Christians today speak of being filled with the Holy Spirit or being baptized in or into the Holy Spirit. I believe the latter expression is incorrect, although we should not mince over the technicalities of words. The Holy Spirit is pure and holy. Any introduction of a new believer into the Holy Spirit would contaminate that purity and holiness. For now, the key words in Verse 4 are that on the day of Pentecost they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. In our next message we will go into great detail about what it means to be filled with the Holy Ghost.

Many years ago the Lord gave me an analogy of the difference between receiving the Holy Ghost (being born again) and being baptized by Jesus with the Holy Ghost. The analogy is that of a sponge. Any sponge, by its natural composition can hold a certain amount of water. It then reaches its saturation point, after which if we try to introduce one more drop of water into the sponge, then one drop will have to come out. It becomes saturated with water. But then we could take that fully saturated sponge and immerse it into a container of water, much larger than itself. So the sponge, full of water (being born again) is immersed into water greater than itself (or baptized with the Holy Spirit). Peaceful water, when used as a type in scripture, refers to the Holy Spirit. We are sponges.

Purpose of Being Baptized with the Holy Spirit

There are several major reasons behind God's plan for us to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. The first and most important reason is to enable us to BECOME what the Lord wants us to be.

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 all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

Here, just before His ascension, Jesus declares what MUST be considered a major reason for being baptized with the Holy Spirit ... to enable us to have the power within us to BE witnesses unto HIM! The word "witness" can also be translated as "martyr." So the baptism with the Holy Spirit gives us the power to be a martyr ... the power to die to our self. Note that the verse does NOT say that we shall have the power to SPEAK or DO a witness to other PEOPLE! There is nothing wrong with speaking or doing (provided it is prompted by the Holy Spirit). But please note that if necessary, the Lord can speak through a jackass or through stones.

And He [Jesus] answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. Luke 19:40

The Lord desires for us to BECOME ... to have the fullness of Christ formed within us! Without the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, this transformation is not possible. But neither is that sufficient because we still have free will. So we must constantly make decisions to allow the Holy Spirit within us to have His way.

Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

It is crucial to see that the Lord is NOT going to bring revival to our human flesh. The flesh must be crucified with Christ. There is NOTHING about the old man or the flesh that will be redeemed. We are NEW creatures in Christ, filled with His Holy Spirit, empowered by His Holy Spirit to become sons of God and joint heirs through Christ!

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, father.

7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:6-7

The Greek word that is translated as "power" in Acts 1:8 is "dunamis," from which we get the word "dynamite." This is an explosive power unequalled by any nuclear weapon. Paul said,

For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 1 Corinthians 4:20

A second major purpose of being baptized with the Holy Spirit is to prepare us for the age to come. This is a topic that Christians rarely hear about. For those believers who sincerely desire to enter into the fullness of the Christian walk, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is undoubtedly the greatest single help that God has provided. Without being baptized with the Holy Spirit, we can only TRY to be good, TRY to do the right thing, etc. In other words the power of God to live a victorious life is missing in our life.

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost.

5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world [or age] to come ... Hebrews 6:4-5

So the baptism with the Holy Spirit allows us to have a foretaste of power and glory divine! Through the baptism with the Holy Spirit, the Christian believer begins to experience right now, in a measure, the supernatural power reserved for its full manifestation in the world or age to come!

Results of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit

There are numerous results of being baptized with the Holy Spirit:

(1) a new spiritual perception of the Lord Himself

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me. 

John 15:26

He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you. 

John 16:14

Moreover, the baptism with the Holy Spirit constitutes direct, personal evidence and assurance that our risen Lord has been both exalted and glorified at the Father's right hand.

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He [Christ] hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. Acts 2:33

(2) a new perception of spiritual warfare

An example of this is when Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, in Matthew 1:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13. Also,

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

(3) a new understanding and anointing of the scriptures

12 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

13 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. John 16:12-13

Of course, none of the early disciples had any understanding until the day of Pentecost. That is evident from the question they asked Jesus as recorded in Acts 1:6. Consider also the account of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:27-40. The eunuch was reading from Isaiah the prophet. When Philip asked the eunuch if he understood what he was reading, the eunuch replied, in Acts 8:31, "How can I, except some man should guide me?"

I remember the very first time that the Holy Spirit revealed to me directly, not through a person or a book, the meaning of a passage of scripture. It was in Matthew 5:13-16. I got so excited that I called another brother and ran over to his house to share what the Spirit had just revealed to me. But that should be part of the normal Christian life.

(4) a seal or protection

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed. John 6:27

21 Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Needless to say, that scripture became a living reality to me and within me! Is the Holy Spirit our Protector? YES!!! I could share with you at least 4 or 5 times that either my wife or I could have been killed except for God's protection. Moreover, several of those events occurred even before the Lord apprehended us. And how many times does the Lord protect us when we are unaware!

(5) a new and more excellent way to pray


26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

(6) a new language: speaking in tongues

We are fully aware that many Christian groups still do not accept "speaking in tongues" as being valid for today. Some of those professing Christians probably quote 1 Corinthians 13:8 and 10 which says, in effect, that tongues is in part and that which is in part shall cease when that which is perfect is come. So, they argue, since Jesus has already come and Jesus is perfect, there are no more tongues. The same argument, if we read 1 Corinthians 13:8, will throw out prophecies and knowledge as also being outdated. I am not sure how such believers explain a myriad of scriptures, such as when Paul told the church at Corinth,

15 I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also....

18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: 1 Corinthians 14:15, 18

The scriptures in Acts 2:4, Acts 4:31, Acts 10:44-48, and Acts 19:1-6 clearly state that they were all baptized with the Holy Spirit and they all spoke in tongues. The same is true for the account in Acts 8:14-17, even though the scripture does not explicitly say that they spoke in tongues. Acts 8:17 states that they received the Holy Ghost. How did Peter and John know that the people at Samaria received the Holy Ghost unless they in fact did speak in tongues?

Other believers say that tongues ceased after the first generation of believers in the early church, as recorded in the book of Acts, died. But historically numerous incidents have been recorded of many Christians speaking in tongues at numerous different geographical locations and at various time periods.

Perhaps we should also state that Jesus never spoke in tongues. Why? because Jesus always had perfect communication with the Father. None of us always have perfect communication with the Father except when we pray in tongues. That represents deep calling unto deep.

(7) a holy boldness

Before the day of Pentecost, the disciples not only had very little understanding, they also were weak in the faith (at best). When Jesus was crucified, ALL of the disciples forsook Him and fled! (Mark 14:50)

What a transformation came upon them after Pentecost! At Thessalonica, the Jews which believed not said, concerning Paul and Silas,

These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also. Acts 17:6

Have you or I, as a Christian, whether singly or in a group, turned the world upside down yet?

(8) a greatly increased zeal and love of God

They loved not their lives, even unto death.

Aspects of Speaking in Tongues

(1) for personal use


2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself ... 1 Corinthians 14:2, 4 

(2) to edify the church (assembly of believers)

Paul says that this use of speaking in tongues should be accompanied by interpretation.

5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest. 1 Corinthians 14:5, 13, 16

From our personal experience in a New Testament house church for 12 years, when a message in tongues is given for the whole congregation, what usually follows is a prophecy, which most believers assume is the interpretation of the message. However, since "he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God" (1 Corinthians 14:2), scripture indicates that the interpretation of the message in tongues should ALSO be speaking unto God, and normally in the form of praise and exaltation. Prophecy, in contrast, is God speaking unto men.

(3) as a sign to unbelievers

Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: 1 Corinthians 14:22

On the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven were assembled in Jerusalem.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4

All speaks of the disciples who were in one accord.

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

8 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying to one another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?

11 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. Acts 2:6-8, 11

Finally, some Christians may say, "Do I have to speak in tongues if I am a Christian?" The answer is No, you do not have to. We still have free will. Further we cannot speak in tongues unless the Lord Jesus has baptized us with the Holy Ghost. But perhaps a better question is, "Can I really speak in tongues and exalt and glorify the Lord in a measure that exceeds my natural language?" The answer is Yes, if you have been baptized with the Holy Ghost.

In this message we have tried to emphasize the significance of Pentecost in our lives today, the purpose of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, the results of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, and the major aspects of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. From this message I believe you can better understand the great scope of our walk as a believer. So many different aspects of our walk are inter-related and it is difficult, if not impossible, to share everything in one message. In our next message we hope to continue with "how to be baptized with the Holy Spirit." We also will share some of our personal experiences.

So until next time, may the Lord continue to bless you as you seek after Him, for Jesus said, "seek and ye shall find."

Pentecost (Part 3)

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

Pentecost (Part 3) 

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In our last message, we shared some thoughts about the significance of Pentecost in our lives today, the purpose of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, the results of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, and the major aspects of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. We need to continue sharing about Pentecost for us today. We will start with the question of 

How Do We Receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit?

Perhaps the most basic answer to that question goes back to our very first two messages concerning our spiritual needs. First we must see a need, then we must desire to receive the fulfillment of that need, then we must sincerely ask the Lord to make that fulfillment real in our life, and then we must thank the Lord for that fulfillment.

The book of Acts gives examples of three principal ways by which the baptism with the Holy Spirit is received. These three are still in effect:

(1) sovereignly, through obedience of faith

And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him. Acts 5:32

(2) through the ministry of the Word

44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them which heard the word.

45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Acts 10:44-46

(3) through the laying on of the apostles' hands

2 He [Paul] said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6 And when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied. Acts 19:2-6

Now, how do I prepare myself to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit? First of all I believe we must see a NEED to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then I must DESIRE to receive. My grandmother once wrote in her Bible, Lord let me create hunger in their hearts, for until they hunger they cannot be fed. What a word of wisdom!!! The next step is to ASK the Lord to baptize you with the Holy Spirit, for Jesus is the One who baptizes you with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). And the last step is to RECEIVE by faith. Just lift up your hands and praise and thank the Lord in whatever language or utterance He gives you. Jesus gave this pattern to His disciples in Luke 11:5-13.

5 And He said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? [NEED and DESIRE]

7 And he from within shall answer and say, trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. [ASK]

10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. [RECEIVE]

11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

But we need to be very careful that we do not make the letter of the Bible the end-all of the matter. There are FAR too many Christians who are looking for some "magic formula" when it comes to Christianity. Many books have been written that talk about "how to be born again," "how to be healed," and on and on. Too many Christians are looking for a quick and easy solution to their problems or a simple 1-2-3 set of steps to do in order to obtain something for ME.

Many years ago I participated in a Lay Witness Mission in Chester, Pennsylvania. My assignment on Sunday morning before the main service was to go to the adult Sunday School class. I was prompted to ask the 25 or so adults to tell me about their relationship with Jesus Christ. A woman immediately broke down, started crying, and sobbed, "I am NO WHERE." What immediately came to my mind was to read to her the verses in Romans 10:9-10.

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Almost immediately, I was checked in my spirit. The Lord spoke to me that HE HIMSELF has a part in a person being born again. It is not simply a mechanical or ritualistic act. The end of that specific incident was very blessed. My immediate response was, "Before you leave this room you WILL be somewhere." Hindsight, that woman was born again when she confessed her great need.

The point is that the Lord Himself can baptize you with the Holy Spirit ... all by Himself!!! I have seen it happen! He does NOT have to use a human vessel (although we suspect that in most cases another person IS used). From our experience we have found that the Lord can do MANY things all by Himself, particularly if we get out of the way and let Him work.

Now, is it possible to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and NOT speak in tongues? Yes, at least for some time period. How do I know? because it happened to both my wife and to me. Three men prayed for me and laid hands on me to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Within a few minutes, my lips were quivering. One of the men said that I could speak in tongues any time I wanted to. But I did not speak in tongues at that point. Why? because I had never received any teaching about the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and I expected someone or something to open my mouth and speak through me. It doesn't work that way.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4

As the Spirit gave them utterance. So by FAITH we open our mouth and speak sounds, words unknown to us. We do the speaking but it is the Holy Spirit who gives us the sounds or words.

Finally, some Christians probably look at speaking in tongues as being something "silly" or perhaps only the result of some emotional fervor. When I was a church-going Methodist (but not a born-again believer), I heard about a married couple in the Methodist church we attended who were doing "funny things" like speaking in tongues. I got MAD!!! I think I felt more anger at that time than at any point in my life! I told my wife, "If they want to do funny things like that, they should get out of the church!" Well about three months later the Lord sovereignly apprehended me. Very shortly after that I was doing those same "funny things" like speaking in tongues. When God designed the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues, He knew what He was doing! We need to submit ourselves totally to the Lord.

But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 

James 3:8

Therefore, submitting our tongue to the Lord (using our tongue only for HIS purposes) seems to be the last sign of our total submission to Him.


9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him [Jesus], and given Him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

We need to expand our understanding and see the SPIRITUAL significance of scripture. When we speak in tongues, we exalt and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. We should desire to receive any and EVERY gift that God has for us. To reject any gift from God seems to be a tragedy!

Let us go back to the Book of Genesis.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7

The phrase "breath of life" means His Spirit. Note in that verse, man did NOT have a choice. We do not have a choice as to who our parents are. Man was created in the likeness of the image of God (Genesis 1:26). When God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden, Adam was innocent and sinless, but NOT "in Christ." He had not partaken of the tree of life. Adam only had created life. He did not possess the uncreated, divine life of God. Divine life cannot be created. It can only be shared through a living union with the Creator. The counterpart of that verse in the New Testament is,

20 And when He had so said, he shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: John 20:20-22

The first question is exactly what, if anything, did the disciples receive at that point in time? That was after the resurrection of Jesus but before Pentecost. From Acts 1 it is clear that the early disciples still had no understanding until the day of Pentecost. Another rather puzzling question is the fact that scripture never says that the first 120 disciples were baptized in water. They may have received John's baptism of repentance, but other scriptures indicate that is not sufficient (Acts 19:3-5). So a very good question could be, Why were the early disciples not baptized in water? We will attempt to answer that question in our next message.

Today, of course, we still do not have a choice of the origin of our natural life, but we DO have a choice as to whether we receive the Holy Ghost. To partake of the life of Christ, we MUST be born again. We must receive the Holy Spirit, except this time by our own free will or choice.

The question now arises, perhaps, as to WHEN do we receive the Holy Spirit? Does this occur when we are born again or, as others say, when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit? My answer is YES! Why should we believe that only ONE of these alternatives could be true? First, let us look at some scriptures pertaining to Jesus.

21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened.

22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased. Luke 3:21-22

And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness being forty days tempted of the devil. Luke 4:1-2

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee ... Luke 4:14

If we think about those 3 sets of verses, they should give us a big clue to the sequence of events that should occur for us as Christians. When Jesus walked the earth, after His baptism and after being tempted in the wilderness, God dwelt within Him by the power of the Holy Ghost. This is the same power that created the heaven and the earth; the same dynamite power that allowed Jesus to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, and perform all manner of miracles.

For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him. John 3:34

According to what is written in scripture, Jesus never performed a miracle, never healed a sick person, never preached a sermon, never walked on water, never calmed the sea, never raised the dead, never saved a sinner, and never called a disciple until AFTER He was filled with the Holy Ghost. Note "God giveth NOT the Spirit by measure unto Him [Jesus]" (John 3:34). The word "measure" can also be translated as a "limited portion" or a "limited degree." This, as we will see shortly, is a major difference between Jesus and us. When Jesus walked the earth He was both God AND man. He still IS both.

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 1 Timothy 2:5

Jesus said, "The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works." John 14:10

How did the Father dwell in Jesus? the same way that He dwells in us, by the Holy Ghost. Later, after He had shed His blood on the cross, was dead and buried, Jesus rose again, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our purpose now is to see what it means for us to receive the Holy Ghost.

And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. John 20:22

Jesus spoke the above words to His disciples AFTER His death and resurrection. The word "receive" can also be translated as "accept." There is NOTHING in the word translated "receive" in that verse that indicates "sometime in the future." We see NO way that verse can be interpreted to mean "receive ye the Holy Ghost after forty seven days on the day of Pentecost." When Jesus told His disciples to "receive ye the Holy Ghost," we believe that they DID receive or accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Redeemer. On THAT day, the disciples confessed with their mouths the Lord Jesus and they believed in their hearts that God had raised Him from the dead. That was not hard for them because they SAW the resurrected Jesus with their natural eyes. Few Christians today have seen the risen Christ Jesus with their natural eyes.

Now let us look at some scriptures that seem to indicate something different.

2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

6 And when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came upon them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. Acts 19:2, 6

16 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:16-17

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 24:49

Once more, we ask the question, do we receive the Holy Ghost when we are born again? or when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit? Our answer is still YES. Both are true. How is it possible for the Holy Spirit to reside within multitudes of believers at the same time? We do not know. Neither do you. Of course there is only one Holy Ghost. Is it possible to receive only part of the Holy Ghost at one time and another part at another time? No. But instead of thinking in terms of receiving the Holy Ghost in parcels, a little here and a little bit more later, let us think of "receiving the Holy Ghost" from MAN's perspective. Let us also think of receiving in terms of accepting or appropriating. We believe that we receive the Holy Ghost in such measure that we are willing to accept Him and appropriate Him in our life.

The one Holy Ghost has different offices. He brings different blessings, depending upon the believer's stage of surrender and faith to receive. The Holy Ghost is a Gentleman, however. He will come in and occupy ONLY that area of our lives which is willingly surrendered to Him. His FIRST office is to convict us of sin and draw us to Jesus. 

"And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8).

When the sinner yields to the wooing of the Holy Spirit and accepts Jesus as his savior, he surrenders his self-sufficiency and cries out for help and a savior. God then blesses him with forgiveness, a new heart, a new hope, and new life in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit, in corresponding measure, comes into him.

The same Holy Ghost urges the Christian to turn from his carnality and let "the very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Therefore, when the Christian lays down his will at the feet of Jesus and dedicates his life to the service of our Lord, the Holy Ghost is enabled to take over another important area of the believer's life, and to pour out an added blessing upon him. God always rewards every surrender with a corresponding blessing; the greater the surrender, the greater the blessing.

When the hungry soul surrenders the last fortress of self, reason, tongue, and body to the will and rule of God, the Holy Spirit can take over complete control of the believer's life and actions, and can really possess the temple of man. The mind, the tongue, and the body are the last things over which a person wished to relinquish control. But when he finally yields, when he agrees, by faith, to "receive" the Holy Ghost and His rule over mind, body, and tongue, then, and only then can the Holy Ghost rule in the way that God desires to rule our lives. Then the Lord becomes our Master, our Lord, and our King. That is really RECEIVING the Holy Ghost. Anything less is only partial surrender to Him. There is an old adage that "If Jesus is not Lord of all then He is not Lord at all."

The Holy Spirit blesses us at conversion, at sanctification, at dedication, and those blessings are so wonderful that many believers think that is all there is to "receiving" the Holy Ghost. But when we are baptized with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit is not only in us, but we are then "full of the Holy Ghost" (Luke 4:1). That is also what happened to the disciples on the day of Pentecost ... they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and endued with power from on high.

J. A. Dennis, in his booklet titled "The Holy Spirit," written in 1954, gives an excellent analogy of this increasing acceptance (receiving) of the Holy Ghost.

"An invading army, landing on foreign soil, takes over one after another the fortresses and strongholds of the defending forces. The conquering general is "in" the country but the country and its inhabitants have not "received" him. Instead, they have stubbornly resisted him. But when either through choice or necessity, the people of the land throw down their arms and acknowledge the invader as their king, he takes over the rule of the country. He has dominion. He has been welcomed. He has been accepted or "received." He is in full charge."

Many years ago, a true prophet of the Lord shared a nugget of gold with me. He tried to emphasize the great significance of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. He said that someone had told him that the pope was baptized with the Holy Spirit. He said that he certainly had no objection whatsoever to ANYONE being baptized with the Holy Spirit ... quite the contrary. But, he said, if the pope were baptized with the Holy Spirit, he could no longer be pope. He would have to give up his earthly power and title because of his new enlightenment and conviction. My friend emphasized that being baptized with the Holy Spirit is a POWERFUL event in our life. Today, of course, the world has tried to belittle, or cheapen being "born again." Those words are used by the world in many different areas. Is it possible that we have likewise belittled or cheapened the event of "being baptized with the Holy Spirit?" Finally, earlier we mentioned the verse in John 3:34, where "God giveth NOT the Spirit by measure unto Him [Jesus]." This is NOT the same for us.


21 Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

22 Who also hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

The above verse indicates that God has given to us the EARNEST of the Spirit in our hearts. The word "earnest," according to Strong's Concordance, means "a pledge" or "part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest."

At what point, then, do we receive MORE than the earnest of the Spirit? Will there come a time when God "giveth not the measure of the Spirit" to us? We believe the answer is YES! but ONLY if we qualify ... only if we allow the Lord to be Lord of EVERY aspect of our lives. In addition, God has a timetable for such a time. We believe it is called "the manifestation of the sons of God" (Romans 8:19). Has that time already occurred? We don't think so, although some relatively small number of believers may have come close.

In our next message, which will be our last word about Pentecost, we want to share about being filled with the Holy Ghost and look at one or two types in the Old Testament that speak of that same filling. So until next time, may the Lord be gracious to us and give us His peace.

Pentecost (Part 4)

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

Pentecost (Part 4) 

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

This fourth message concerning Pentecost may be one of the most important messages that we will ever broadcast. I hope every hearer will seek the Lord and search the scriptures to see if these things are so.

After the resurrection of Jesus and just before His ascension to heaven, Jesus told His disciples, in 

Luke 24:49, "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."

At essentially the same time, Jesus also said, in 

Acts 1:4-5 - "And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." 

The promise of the Father, of course, is the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His disciples not to do anything until they received the dynamite power of the Holy Ghost. The key word is "power" ... the power to die to self.

On the day of Pentecost, in 

Acts 2:1-4, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, 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 other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

So the early disciples in the Book of Acts were in complete and total agreement or in one accord to glorify God. That should be our same objective as a Christian ... to glorify God in all that we do, say, and become. Everything that we do should be "as unto the Lord."

In a previous message on Pentecost we noted that there is no scripture that says the first 120 disciples were baptized in water as Christians. We want to share with you why we believe the first 120 disciples were never baptized in water as a Christian. First we need to thoroughly understand why God made man. We shared on that topic in our fourth message. We used a title of "What is Man?" or "God's Eternal Purpose for Making Man." As a short summary, the Father had such unspeakable delight and love for His only begotten Son, Jesus, that He determined, before the foundation of the world, to bring many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10) ... for what purpose? so that His only Son, Jesus, might have fellowship with a multitude of sons. Then we read in 

1 John 1:3, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." 

We also know that the Apostle John as well as the other original 11 disciples walked with Jesus constantly for three and one-half years before Calvary. Those early disciples were taught by Jesus, probably on a daily basis. Of course it is true that they had little understanding until the day of Pentecost. 

Amos 3:3 says, "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" 

The implied answer is "no." There is no higher calling or pursuit in life than for a believer to walk with the Lord every moment of every day. But in order to do that we must be in one accord with the Lord. We must agree with Him in all things. He will not compromise with us. He wants to be Lord and Master of our life. Walking with the Lord means that we have fellowship with Him.

Consider Enoch. Genesis 5:24 says, "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." The Hebrew for "God" in that verse is Elohim, which speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ. Apparently Enoch had such good fellowship with the Lord and pleased the Lord so much that the Lord translated Enoch into the heavenly realm. But now I ask you ... was Enoch ever baptized in water? Did Enoch have his personal Pentecost? Did he ever speak in tongues? Apparently not. The point is ... we must not confuse the objective, the end product, with the means. Which is more important ... that we go through all the steps and put an "X" in all the right boxes OR that we arrive at the finish line and walk with the Lord daily? We have just stated the objective when God created man. If we, by the grace of God, arrive at God's objective, do we still have to go back and walk through all of the steps and put an "X" in all the right boxes?

For the past two years or more I have been tutoring two young boys, brothers, mostly in mathematics. One of those boys is quite intelligent, beyond his years. He is now in the eighth or ninth grade. But I have tutored him, at his mother's request, in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Trigonometry, Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus, and Differential Equations. He understands all of that and has worked difficult problems in those subjects quickly. But now the state of Virginia requires him to take some of those subjects anyway if he wants to graduate from high school. So the world requires him to go back through the steps even though he has already arrived.

Now we need to understand the significance of the firstfruits. The first time the word, "firstfruits," appears in the Bible is in Exodus 23:14-17, when the Lord gave specific instructions to Moses. - 

"Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD."

Later, in Exodus 34:22, the Lord told Moses that Pentecost was to be the fistfruits of wheat harvest. Wheat is used to make bread. Jesus was and is the Bread of life. Spiritually, the very first of the firstfruits was/is Jesus Himself.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

1 Corinthians 15:20

Who are "them that slept?" Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and numerous other Old Testament saints. In Luke 13, Jesus said to the Pharisees, 

"There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out." 

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:22-23

Paul said that he and all those who had the firstfruits of the Spirit groaned within, waiting for the redemption of the body. A question for you and me ... do we groan within ourselves, waiting for the redemption of our body?


1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. Revelation 14:1-5

We will not here go into the significance of the 144,000 except to say that I do not interpret that in the literal sense. Verse 4 says the firstfruits among men were/are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. I cannot interpret that verse in the natural realm either; otherwise the Apostle Peter, among many others could not be among the firstfruits because Peter had a wife.

Now let us go back to what happened on the day of Pentecost, from Acts 2:1-4.

Let us recall that Jesus, before Calvary, told His disciples, in John 14:17 that the Spirit of truth dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. The result of Pentecost was that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. So these distinct events are the Holy Ghost dwelling with us, being in us, and being filled with the Holy Ghost. The latter is the most important event.

The Greek word for "be filled" is pleroo, which means "keep on being filled" or "stay filled" with the Spirit. Paul talks about something that should be ongoing in the lives of believers. The filling of the Spirit is not some ecstatic or emotional experience, but a steady controlling of our life by obedience to the truth of God's Word. We can't have more or less of the Holy Spirit, but we can have more or less of His influence over us. How are we filled with, or influenced by, the Spirit? The answer is easy to understand, but not so easy to live out: yield to Him, obey Him. Being filled with the Spirit is a day-to-day, even moment-by-moment surrendering of our lives to Christ.

The goal of the Christian life is to remain Spirit-filled. That should be the normal Christian life. That is NOT what the Israelites did after passing through the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:5-10). That is NOT what the Church at Corinth did, as recorded in 1 Corinthians.

We receive the Holy Spirit when we receive Christ as Savior. There is no gap between belief in Christ and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. The initial gift of the Holy Spirit happens at one, and only one, time ... at the time of being born from above. While Scripture never commands Christians to be baptized in or into the Holy Spirit, it does charge us to be filled with the Spirit.

An important part of Scripture that refers to the filling of the Holy Spirit is Ephesians 5:18-21: "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit ..." (wherein is NO excess). Being filled with the Spirit is contrasted with being filled or drunk with wine. Just as wine has the potential to influence our behavior, so does the Holy Spirit. People driving drunk are "driving under the influence." The idea is being led by God's Spirit rather than by other forces. When we are filled with the Spirit, we see a resultant attitude of joy and thanksgiving. We also see a relational posture of humility toward God and of submission to one another. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is about an ongoing working of God's Spirit in a person's life, not a one-time experience. As the believer lives out his or her faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit increasingly controls or fills his or her life. We must always make decisions as to whether we will obey God or men (which includes self).

All believers in Jesus Christ have God's Spirit living within them, or dwelling within them (John 14:16, Ephesians 1:13, 2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 4:30); but not all believers live filled with the Spirit or led by the Spirit's power. Believers have all of the Holy Spirit but the Holy Spirit may not have all of them. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the time of our salvation but we are filled by Him when we submit to Him.

The filling of the Holy Spirit can vary in the life of each believer. Negatively, a believer in Christ can "quench" or "grieve" the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19, Ephesians 4:30). Sinful actions can hinder the work of God's Spirit in our life. In contrast, when a believer in Christ lives in obedience to God's will and commands, he or she should expect to see the fruit of God's Spirit living through them.

Being filled with the Spirit does not refer to speaking in tongues. Now God can do whatever He wants to do at any time He so chooses. In the Gospel according to Luke, Chapter 1, at least three different people were filled with the Spirit: John the Baptist (verse 15), Elizabeth (verse 41), and Zacharias (verse 67), but there is no record of any of them speaking in tongues.

Being filled with the Spirit does not refer to having more of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not reserved for Christians who are more mature than others. God seals each believer with His Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30, 2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5). We can never have more or less of the Holy Spirit than we have at the moment of conversion. We either have the Holy Spirit or we don't. The real issue is the release of the already present Spirit to have free reign in our hearts. It isn't about us having more of Him but of Him having more of us.

Being filled with the Spirit means the fruit of the Spirit, not the works of the flesh, is manifested in our life. The fruit of the Spirit speaks about what the Holy Spirit produces in our lives, which is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Galatians 5:22-23).

Being filled with the Spirit also means we use only godly speech. What we say is a reflection of our hearts. What could be a better indication of whether we're filled with the Spirit than what comes out of our mouth? James 3:1-12 says we can tame everything in creation except our tongues: they are like wild fires burning out of control, destroying everything in sight. This is why James says, "If someone could tame his tongue, he would be a perfect man." Further,


25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27 Neither give place to the devil.

28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:25-32

There are three major Jewish feasts, as recorded in Exodus 23:14-17 and Deuteronomy 16, the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Passover; the Feast of Harvest (or Weeks or Firstfruits or Pentecost); and the Feast of In-gathering (or Tabernacles). Pentecost is the fiftieth day after the Feast of the Passover. Leviticus 23:15-21 prescribes the sacred nature of Pentecost and lists the appropriate sacrifices. Until the Pentecostal loaves were offered, the produce of the harvest could not be eaten, nor could any other first fruits be offered.

On the day of Pentecost or the "Feast of Firstfruits," the high priest performed an unusual, once-only ceremony. We read about the two loaves of Pentecost in Leviticus 23:15-21.

15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:

16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.

17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

...

20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.

21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

Bakers will tell you there are two different kinds of "leaven" - good leaven, and bad leaven. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread at Passover we are to eat only unleavened bread, which represents repentance from our sins and being born again. The Lord, of course, hates sin. Because of rampant sin, the Lord destroyed the land with the flood (Genesis 6-7). The Apostle Paul wrote, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Jesus warned that unless we repent of sin, and stop sinning, we will "perish" (Luke 13:2-5).

Jesus alluded to the good type of leaven in His parable in 

Matthew 13:33: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."

Also, in Luke 13:20-21 Jesus said, "Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? it is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." 

Note that leaven is compared to the Holy Spirit, which is put within the LORD's people and changes their corrupt human nature into the wonderful, holy, righteous nature of the Lord Jesus (2 Peter 1:4). The LORD's Spirit works within us like leaven; it changes our nature and character into that which is wonderful and acceptable in the LORD's sight! Then a delicious aroma completely fills the house. Jesus said, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35, 48). He is the "bread that came down from heaven" (John 6:48-51). The Greek word for "bread" here speaks of a raised loaf of leavened bread - normal, natural bread! Jesus is the raised, leavened, perfect bread that brings eternal life.

The apostle Paul says that the Church is "the body of Christ." Paul writes, 

"For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread" (1 Corinthians 10:17).

Christians are therefore one body, and partake of one bread; so we are, in the LORD's sight, like a beautiful loaf of bread. Jesus is the Perfect, beautiful Loaf of bread.

Pentecost foretells the wedding of Jesus and His Bride. The two loaves are the firstfruits unto the LORD (Leviticus 23:17). Now we have already seen in 1 Corinthians 15:20 that Jesus is the first of the firstfruits. Paul also speaks of "Christ the firstfruits" in 1 Corinthians 15:23. We have also seen in Romans 8:22-23 and in Revelation 14:1-5 that the Bride is also the "firstfruits" to the Lord. 

Now we see the "two leavened loaves" of bread presented and waved before the Father on Pentecost! The one loaf represents the Lord Jesus Christ in His fullness ... the Perfect "Bread of Life." The other loaf represents the Bride of Jesus - filled with the Spirit - brought to perfection through trial and testing! Those first 120 disciples, then, who were all filled with the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, became part of the firstfruits.

The leaven which causes these loaves to reach their fullness of perfection is the Holy Spirit within them, the Spirit of grace, love, and power (2 Timothy 1:6-7; Hebrews 10:29). The Holy Spirit works like leaven within us to make us into the image of the Lord in character and true holiness!

It is true that none of those first 120 disciples were perfect in the sense that they never made a single mistake, but they will return in perfection when Jesus returns to earth to rule and reign for 1000 years. However, they were at least perfect in the sense that Noah and Job are called perfect.

"These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." (Genesis 6:9)

"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." (Job 1:1)

But the firstfruits which constitute the Bride are not limited to those first 120 disciples. That second loaf of bread will also include all those saints over all of time who likewise have been or will be immersed in Pentecost by being filled with the Spirit and who remain filled with the Spirit. That means, as a minimum, they will walk in everything that the first disciples walked in. That includes continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers, and fear came upon every soul, and all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. It includes continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, eating our meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. It also includes being in one accord. Is the visible church on earth today in one accord? Is the visible church, all those who profess to be Christians, on earth today, walking in all those things that the early disciples walked in? Not even close!

In summary, the two loaves of bread presented and waved before the LORD are the central event on the day of Pentecost, around which everything else revolves and on which everything else depends. The two loaves represent the Bride and Groom at their wedding, which in symbolism is pictured by Pentecost - the high holy day called "The Feast of Firstfruits." The Feast of Pentecost itself pictures Jesus, the first of the firstfruits, and the Bride, which constitutes the balance of the "first-fruits"!

It is very significant that on Pentecost each year, Jewish people read in the Old Testament from the book of Ruth, which is a "love story." Ruth was a hapless Israelite living in Moab who married an Israelite who immigrated to Moab with his father, mother, and brother during a terrible famine. The father died, and the two sons, married Israelite women, Ruth and Orpah. They lived in Moab about ten years, and the two men died, leaving their wives as widows. Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi, received news that the famine in Israel was over, so she decided to return to her own people. Ruth loved her mother-in-law deeply and refused to leave her when she returned to Israel. Naomi cautioned her that life would be tough, that she has no more sons for Ruth to marry, and that she might not find a mate in Israel. Ruth's response reached the depths of true conversion. She said:

"Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me" (Ruth 1:16-17).

As the story unfolds, Ruth gleaned in the fields of Boaz, a mighty man of wealth. He saw her, knew she had an excellent reputation as a faithful and loving daughter to Naomi, and promised that as long as she gleaned in his fields he would protect her. He later took her to be his wife. Boaz was a very wealthy and righteous man who was much older than Ruth. Boaz, is clearly a type of Jesus, and Ruth is a type of the Bride! Ruth prepared herself. She was ready. But what about us? Are we getting ready, preparing for the Great Wedding Day that is coming soon? "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!" (Matthew 25:6).

Now, if you just found this message "interesting" or "educational" then we suggest that you listen to the whole message again. It is not enough to understand the word of God. We must know where we are going and how to get there. In other words the word must become flesh within us. We must walk in the truth. 

In James 1:22-25, we read: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

The end of the matter is that after we have experienced our personal Pentecost, after we are filled with the Holy Ghost, by our daily dying to self and our daily obedience to the Lord by the power of the Holy Ghost, Who dwells within us, we must allow the Spirit of God continuously to make us perfect until He appears the second time without sin unto salvation. We should desire to be part of the first-fruits ... those who will rule and reign with Christ on earth for a thousand years. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!