Introduction

Good day to all, I am going to talk about a familiar topic, one that follows on from The Gospel of Jesus Christ. This sermon series, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, consists of twelve parts, which clearly explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you find it unclear, you can listen to it several more times.

If anyone asks you what you believe in Jesus, and you cannot recall, just reread this. Now you should know what it means to believe in Jesus. Do not believe or speak blindly, especially do not say such nonsense as, I believe in the Lord, I am saved, I can go to heaven. As for whether you are going to the heaven in the West or the East, you are not quite sure. We begin to readjust ourselves. Stop talking nonsense. Saying I believe in the Lord, I am saved is a very bad attitude.

Believing in the Lord Jesus means doing what the Lord Jesus did. The Lord Jesus said, Those who believe in me will also do the works that I do. But you have not done so. What are you doing? Believing in the Lord Jesus and doing what the Lord Jesus did, who did it best? The Apostle Paul. The one who emulated Jesus the best and was most like Him was the Apostle Paul. Moreover, he wrote many articles, which are included in the New Testament of the Bible, becoming texts that we can study. From these, we can understand how the Apostle Paul emulated Jesus.

So, from now on, we will talk about the The Gospel of Apostle Paul series. This series will have about six parts, to let everyone know that the Chinese Mingding Doctrine is a theology that emulates Jesus Christ and inherits the Apostle Paul’s teachings, building upon their foundation. Laughs will be few, practical content will be plentiful. Remember, do not come to hear jokes, but to learn practical content.

The first part is called Baptized by the Holy Spirit. When I searched on YouTube, I found many people talking about this topic in various ways. I listened to a few, and it seemed they spoke reasonably well, but I wondered how much of it was put into practice. Some people say, Oh, he is just a two-cent teapot, all mouth. I say, Not two cents, even a four-cent teapot is still all mouth.

But when it comes to implementation, I really thank the Lord. I do not know why, but I am someone who likes to be practical. I never engage in虚的. What do I implement practically? I implement what I preach. When you listen to my sermons, you will know that what I preach is what I implement. Apostle Paul was also like this. I emulate Jesus Christ and inherit the Apostle Paul’s teachings. This is not a boast, but an encouragement for everyone to do the same. Be sure to be a grounded person.

There was once an old pastor whom I greatly admired. I met him when he was seventy years old, and now he is over eighty. He did not speak much, nor was he ostentatious. He spoke with elegance, without strong emotions. I asked him how he built his church? He gave me a few pieces of advice, telling me to pray more, read the Bible diligently, be self-sufficient, and shepherd well. I listened and thought it was a cliché. I thought he could give me some small secrets or tips for building a church. How could I do these things?

He established six hundred churches, and it seems he has built even more now. He tells many church-planting pastors this, but I think I have implemented his few words the best. Pray more, read the Bible diligently, be self-sufficient, and shepherd well. These pieces of advice still echo in my ears. You know, I am truly grateful to this old pastor. He gave me the best advice, the best gift.

The topic we are now discussing is called The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, or Being Filled with the Holy Spirit, and it is not just talk. After listening, you might say, Oh, it is a cliché. It is not just talk; it is implementation. Do you understand? If you implement it well, would there be so many problems? It is because you have not implemented it well that there are so many problems.

Brothers and sisters, although Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Being Filled with the Holy Spirit, Speaking in Tongues, and Myths of Speaking in Tongues have been discussed numerous times, they still need to be implemented. You need to know that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not everything, but without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you lose the most important component of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is like a car without an engine. Are you going to push the car?

Do you remember what the first part of The Gospel of Jesus Christ series was? The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. Remember, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me. This is a crucial first step. If there is no first step, forget about the second. Although speaking in tongues, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit are not everything, they are a critical step, because it is the beginning.

The filling of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ is without measure. This is the key to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is also the key to Apostle Paul’s Gospel. Jesus Christ said, The works that I do, you will do also. How can you do it without the Holy Spirit? So Jesus said, John baptized you with water, but I will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Why do I want to speak on this topic? Because I want to finish this series. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of Apostle Paul, and then our Chinese Mingding Doctrine Gospel is this: baptized with the Holy Spirit. Many churches do not talk about this, and as a result, they have turned the power of God, the great power of this Gospel, into a Mahayana Buddhism, just talking about a principle.

I tell you, step-by-step practical implementation is the most powerful aspect of our Chinese Mingding Doctrine. Later, as we walked step by step, we created the Mingding Doctrine theological system. The Mingding Doctrine theological system is all because of the Holy Spirit, all starting from the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That is the source of my strength, that is the source of wisdom, that is the best gift God has given me.

Speaking of this, I really thank the Lord. You know why I thank the Lord? On the first day I walked into the church, although I had a Bible in my hand, I had never read the Gospel of Matthew, nor the Book of Genesis. I knew nothing. I even looked down on Chinese churches, preferring to go to English churches, because in Singapore, English churches are more developed.

At that time, I went to an English church that did exorcisms. On the first day, they pulled me into a small room. Wow, I went to class in the morning, started attending the service at 10:30, and after the service, they pulled me into a small room. What for? Being filled with the Holy Spirit, receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If it were you, you might find it strange, and I also found it strange. But that day, a group of young pastors, like our young pastors, were full of enthusiasm and pressed me to pray. They prayed until 3:00 PM, and my stomach was growling with hunger. I said, Hurry up and fill me, hurry up and fill me. But let me tell you, unbelief is very wicked. At this point, I followed them and imitated a few words.

This was incredible! When I walked out of the church, although my stomach was growling, I saw that the world was suddenly so beautiful? The flowers were so beautiful, the leaves were so green, Singapore was truly a garden city. So I went again the following week. I have to tell you, being filled with the Holy Spirit is really good. As for whether I spoke out or not, it did not matter anymore; of course, I did speak out.

Later, I felt that being filled with the Holy Spirit was the most beautiful gift God had given me! So in the Gospel of Luke, it says, If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! It felt good, so I went again the second week. Later, when we established our church, our young pastors knew this story, and they did the same.

There was a young man who was still studying and could not find a job. Finally, he found a job, but his permit could not be approved. In his country, he did not need to apply for a permit; no one would kick him out. There was no issue of permit expiration. But in Singapore, after finishing his studies, if you do not have a permit, you have to pack up and go home. The young man was very anxious. Seeing others find a job and get their permits approved, he was especially envious.

Several of our young pastors took him to a small room and led him to pray in tongues and be filled with the Holy Spirit, saying nothing, offering no explanations. Explanations would ruin such a good thing. As a result, the young man found a good job and got his permit. This was just amazing! The Holy Spirit is so good! A gospel without the filling of the Holy Spirit is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nor is it the Gospel of Apostle Paul. He had a similar experience to mine; the days of misfortune passed, and the days of blessing began. Thank God! Now he has become one of my co-workers, and he was still telling me about this experience last night.

A long time ago, when we would led people to being filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues, we always thought we needed to explain something. But can you explain it clearly? How to pray, what tongues are? We spoke with stumbling, unable to explain clearly. Later, I stopped doing that. I did not believe that my God, who controls the universe, would not be able to handle such a small thing.

I would say to people, Come, I will lead you to pray, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and receiving the gift of tongues is really good! Do you all understand what really good means? It is not just good; it is really good! People come to church with problems. I have hardly seen anyone come to church and say, Teacher, I want to have Mingding Doctrine. There are very few such people.

People come with problems. How should we lead them? People who come are often ravaged by demons, with bad bones, bad eyes, bad heads. No need to explain, just come and pray with me. You cannot deny that this trick really works. To this day, many brothers and sisters think that this is what it means to believe in the Lord. Because they came to believe in the Lord among us, not outside, they think this is the standard. In fact, this really is a standard.

Doing this has great results. The power of God, the power of the Holy Spirit solves problems. We practically implemented this very well. So when you come to our church, we will ask you, Have you received the Holy Spirit? Have you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Have you spoken in tongues? No? Come! Let's do it!

There are so many testimonies in the church now. In just one hour of leading prayer, there is a pile of testimonies. So the words we speak, the sermons we preach, are not based on wise and persuasive words, but on the demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. Some people come to the church and say, Teacher, I have listened to your sermons for a year. I say, Are there any confusions about speaking in tongues? He says, No, I just came after listening.

We have a pile of testimonies, which we cannot even finish broadcasting. We can only pick a few to broadcast. If your testimony is not broadcast, sorry, you are still in the queue.

Later, when we established the church, we prayed in tongues extensively to break through in understanding. Anyway, there was nothing else to do. I lost my job. Many people said, That pastor lost his job. What does that prove? Is it not normal for God to let me lose my job? Is it not normal for God to let Joseph go to Egypt as a slave? But thank God, I lost my job, but I had time.

The busy days passed, and the days without money came. Having time without money, having money without time, which would you choose? God helped me choose having time without money. Anyway, it was quite difficult, so I prayed! I especially understand your difficulties. At that time, I was also very difficult, so I prayed and read the Bible.

Emulating Jesus Christ, inheriting Apostle Paul’s teachings, speaking in tongues more than anyone else. It was very difficult, so did I not have to pray? Through prayer, I gained strength, implementing it step by step. Do not be a two-cent teapot, nor be a four-cent teapot. Even a ten-cent teapot is just all mouth.

If you do not implement it, if you do not want to implement it, it is useless. Even if you do not want to implement to draw on God’s power, what else is there to say? Driving an electric car without charging it, you will suffer. Once you are caught by 老马 and trained, you will be fine. Or if you are caught by the Japanese devils and put in a concentration camp, all your problems will be cured. Brothers and sisters, think about it slowly.

Yesterday, a brother called me. He was kicked out. Why was he kicked out? He was given an account, but he did not have time to come to the meeting, so go play on the side. I thought that God was quite amazing; He used demons to drive people into the church. Demons are also created by God. God makes everything beautiful in its time.

What happened? He figured it out and said, Teacher, of the things you told me, the first is to be grounded. In the past, I liked to boast, always thinking of seizing opportunities, and in the end, I grabbed a lot of trouble. So I am so busy that I do not have time to draw on God’s power, do not have time to draw on God’s promises, and do not have time to rely on God. It is not that I am helpless in the world, but the reverse is true.

Actually, it is not that you are helpless; it is just that people have a pile of core interests that they cannot see through. If people see through it, they can let go of anything. If people do not see through it, they cannot let go of anything. If you see yourself being pushed into the crematorium oven in an instant, you see yourself being burned to ashes in an instant, you see your urn in an instant, you see someone putting your urn in the grave, then those things you care about have no meaning.

Some internet celebrities you see online get cancer in their thirties and die skinny and miserable. This is how their life ends. Then some people post videos of their cancer treatment process online, skin and bones, gaunt, so miserable, coming to suffer, coming to repay debts. Have you all figured these things out?

If you have figured it out, you need to know that receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a great grace, a great blessing. Then see through all these things in life, then you will have time even if you do not have time. Because you control your time, how can you not have it? You have twenty-four hours a day, and I also have twenty-four hours a day. What do you do with your twenty-four hours? You do the things you consider important. What do I do with my twenty-four hours? I do the things I consider important.

I know that without my God, I am now just a handful of ashes. I am not exaggerating at all; without God, I wouldn't know where I would be. Because God saved me, allowing me to meet Him in my days of misfortune, I can now let go of everything. That's why there is a song called Letting Go of Everything, which was created for me by our co-workers.

Once you see through things, you are willing to let go of everything! In reality, people just don't want to let go of their core interests, but what meaning do those things have? If you want to let go but don't have the Holy Spirit helping you, you have no ability to let go. If you let go, things will collapse. When I let go, the Holy Spirit helped me pick things up, and nothing collapsed. God knows our situation too well. People in the world often can't help themselves, so He baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, giving us the ability.

Precisely because of this, we deliberately arrange many prayer meetings. Don't think that it's a waste of time; it will save a lot of time. Do you understand? It will save a lot of time in hospital beds, patient time, chemotherapy time, radiation time, and anesthesia surgery time. Remember, attending prayer meetings is not giving out; it's gaining.

Therefore, I encourage everyone to develop a new habit: offer yourselves as living sacrifices, as burnt offerings, completely dedicated to God. May the Holy Spirit fill us, just as He filled Jesus Christ; may the power of God also be upon us, as it was upon Jesus Christ. Then we will walk according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to let the captives be released and the oppressed go free. It's not that you are released, but that you let the captives be released and the oppressed go free. Who have you released now?

I tell you, although the Apostle Paul did not personally follow Jesus, and he missed the first Pentecost, the Apostle Paul implemented the baptism of the Holy Spirit, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and praying in tongues better than anyone else – better than Peter. Although Peter was the first to receive the Holy Spirit and pray in tongues at Pentecost, he did not implement these as well. He was also the first to lead Gentiles, non-Jews, to be filled with the Holy Spirit and pray in tongues; Cornelius was one such example. But later, the Apostle Paul, a man of great culture, knowledge, and wisdom, passed this down. Such precious things were passed down through the Apostle Paul.

If you carefully read 1 Peter and 2 Peter, Peter doesn't mention being filled with the Holy Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit much, and then he speaks a lot of great truths. Among them, there is also a most detestable idea, which is that Lot was a righteous man. Since the beginning of history, no one has said that Lot was a righteous man; Jesus didn't say that. Jesus only said that you should think of Lot's wife, who was the epitome of loving the world and loving money.

I think the Apostle Paul implemented these things the best. Fortunately, with the Apostle Paul's teachings, we are inheriting the Gospel of the Apostle Paul, and we are implementing it quite well ourselves. We should give ourselves a thumbs up; we are implementing it well. I tell you, the angels in heaven see that we are following the Lord so faithfully, and they will give us thumbs up and applaud for us. The baptism of the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit, not only did Jesus Christ need it, and the Apostle Paul needed it, don't we need it even more? Why am I preaching this sermon? The reason is simple. Besides us, there are many churches that are still preaching a Gospel without being filled with the Holy Spirit, and they still think they are orthodox; it's truly a tragedy.

So we are harping on the same old tune again. Those who don't understand need to understand, and those who already understand need to implement it in reality. Don't tell me, Teacher, I understand everything you said. Just cut it out; what have you actually implemented? I am speaking about what I have implemented; what you hear is just entering your ears and nothing more.

What is the work of the Holy Spirit? The work of the Holy Spirit is to heal and deliver, then to mortify the deeds of the body, and to guide people to know the truth of God. So this series will discuss the Gospel of the Apostle Paul in detail. This sermon is freshly baked; it was just finished at 9:50 AM before I came in to lead everyone in prayer. Now, let's read Acts 19:1-7.

Scripture

And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.”

Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were in all about twelve men. (Acts 19:1-7)

Prayer

Lord Jesus, today You want to open our minds again among us, so that we can see how important it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, today Your Spirit is also upon us, so that we can preach the Gospel to the poor, so that we can proclaim release to the captives and freedom to the oppressed, and so that we can proclaim sight to the blind. God, today these words will also be fulfilled in us.

God, raise up Your people today! Let each of our brothers and sisters imitate the Apostle Paul and imitate Jesus Christ. God, arise today, raise up among us great and small Apostles Paul and Jesus Christ, so that we may have Your image, so that we can live out Your glorious image. God, in this generation, let Your Gospel be restored.

God, open our minds, give us courage, let us be able to boldly declare Your truth. May Your Holy Spirit guide us, working in our brothers and sisters, mortifying the evil deeds of our flesh, so that the logical systems inside us may all be renewed, renewed into divine, heavenly logical systems. In the name of Jesus Christ! Amen!

Scripture Background

There was a man named Apollos who was extremely eloquent. You should know that there are many pastors who are extremely eloquent, but they do not have the power of the Holy Spirit. This man Apollos gives us a good reminder; he went everywhere to preach that Jesus Christ is Lord. He was very familiar with the Bible, quoting scriptures to preach the Gospel, but he only preached that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that was it.

Apollos should have followed John the Baptist. John the Baptist said:

“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matthew 3:11)

Apollos had a great influence in the church. After Paul finished ministering in Corinth, he left the church in Corinth, and this Apollos also went to Corinth. Paul went to Ephesus, and this Apollos was also in Ephesus. Apollos formed his own faction, was very eloquent, and had a lot of influence. The brothers and sisters in the church also felt that he preached well. So the church was divided into the Paul faction, the Apollos faction, and the Cephas faction.

Later, Paul said, Just cut it out; what Paul faction? My faction is Jesus Christ. Did Paul die for you? No. Don't make a Paul faction. So I tell you, although I founded Chinese Mingding Doctrine, Mingding Doctrine doesn't have anyone's name at all. If someone asks you, Are you a Charismatic? Or an Evangelical? Or a Nee Tuosheng or Song Shangjie follower? you just say, We are the Jesus faction.

Apollos was also in Ephesus and Corinth, but we will find that the things he preached were not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He acknowledged that Jesus Christ is Lord, but he had not received the Holy Spirit. In history, the Apollos faction has extended to the present day, that is, they believe in the Lord, they repent, they receive water baptism, and then there is no further development. He does not have the ability; he cannot do what Jesus did, and he cannot do what the Apostle Paul did.

But the Apostle Paul's faction was inherited from Jesus. We inherited it from Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul. We do what Jesus did, and we do what the Apostle Paul did; if Jesus didn't do it, we don't do it. So where was the Apostle Paul so powerful? The Apostle Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit on the day he believed in the Lord.

If you look at Acts chapter 9, there is a clear record. He was blind, and someone came to pray for him, and then he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and his eyes could see again, and many scales fell from his face. He experienced being filled with the Holy Spirit the first time he believed in the Lord, which is actually right. So he deeply knew the benefits of being filled with the Holy Spirit and praying in tongues, which is what the Apostle Paul later said, I speak in tongues more than all of you.

The Apostle Paul didn't just say that casually. This matter must be traced back to before Jesus Christ ascended, in the first chapter of Acts, which records Jesus Christ appearing to the apostles on earth for forty days. Then, on the Mount of Olives, before Jesus was taken up by the clouds, there were roughly about five hundred people gathered there.

Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:4-9)

I ask you, at this time, did Peter and the others believe in the Lord? Yes. Did those disciples believe in the Lord? Yes. But Jesus told them, Wait in Jerusalem; don't go anywhere, just wait until the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. How clearly these words are spoken. Some acknowledge Jesus Christ but have not had the baptism of the Holy Spirit; remember, this is a very important concept.

Paul knew about this, but he later inherited and implemented it the best, so in writing his biblical letters, he spent a large amount of chapters to record the baptism of the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit. This man is too amazing. I tell you, intellectuals work methodically. If they let others do it, it would disappear as they work.

So, in Acts chapter 19, actually, at this time, it was not far from him being arrested and going to Rome for trial. Then he met the disciples and asked, Have you received the Holy Spirit? He filled those he brought with him directly with the Holy Spirit. When he saw others, especially those brought by Apollos, he asked, Have you received the Holy Spirit? Remember, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and receiving the Holy Spirit all mean the same thing; they are just different ways of saying it.

This Apostle Paul is extraordinary. He firmly grasped the key point of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, which is what the Lord Jesus said. The Spirit of God must fill me; this is the most crucial step in believing in the Lord. So, in this chapter, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they received tongues, but it does not describe how it came upon them or how they received tongues.

I have a concept here to tell everyone: if the Bible clearly says don't do it, then don't do it; if the Bible clearly says how to do it, then do it well as it says; if the Bible doesn't say how to do it, then do it by faith. So, having received the Holy Spirit is a very important concept, but now very few churches ask if you have received the Holy Spirit; Paul's Gospel is this kind of Gospel. Why was Paul so powerful? It was because he had the Holy Spirit, so Paul's power was especially great.

You know, Paul preached in the synagogue, and God performed extraordinary miracles through the hands of the Apostle Paul, so that people even took handkerchiefs or aprons from Paul's body and placed them on the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits went out of them. This is recorded in the twelfth verse of the nineteenth chapter of Acts. Amazing, isn't it? Too amazing. Being filled with the Holy Spirit to such a degree, the Spirit of God worked in him to such a degree, that the power was beyond human imagination.

Paul did many things in Ephesus. He performed miracles, so that many people oppressed by demons were released. All who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, knew about these things, and they were all afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. Why? Because some people cast out demons in the name of Jesus, and as a result, the demons jumped on them. After many people believed, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and then they told their testimonies.

So, if you are filled with the Holy Spirit, even a four-year-old child can perform miracles. How amazing is that! Then those who practiced magic brought their books, those books of looking at constellations and fortune-telling, and piled them up in front of everyone and burned them. The price of the books totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. The word of the Lord greatly increased and prevailed; it was like that.

These things have a background. This background is that the Apollos faction does not receive the Holy Spirit; it is just believing in Jesus, and that's it. But the Apostle Paul's Gospel is greatly powerful. Until later, in our inheriting Paul's Gospel, there were still a group of people who would insinuate us, saying, Oh my, how many Jesuses are there? Just one. How many Pauls are there? Just one. But the Bible doesn't say that.

What does the Bible say? Jesus said, You should imitate Me. Jesus said, The things I do, you shall do also. In the time of Paul, Paul also said, You should imitate me, as I also imitate Jesus Christ. So we must now know that inheriting Paul's Gospel and imitating Jesus is a very important concept. Don't be deceived, don't be fooled by this Apollos, by this powerless Gospel.

Paul performed miracles, and even demons feared him. Even the idol worshippers in Ephesus felt his power. The silversmiths in Ephesus, who made their living by crafting and carving idols, felt a sharp decline in their business because the idols they carved had no power and could not solve people's problems. If they could solve problems, people would not have sought out the Apostle Paul. Then they began to persecute Paul and his companions.

Therefore, although Peter was the first to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the first to lead the Gentile Cornelius to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he did not fulfill God's commission. Why? They were hypocritical when they encountered Gentiles. This lack of understanding is also a tragedy. Did the Apostle Peter have ability? Yes, he had ability, but his lack of understanding was not right.

Although Paul emphasized the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he emphasized understanding even more. He said: What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. Therefore, building the church must be through understanding. It's not that one is more important than the other, but that both are important. This is a concept inherited by Chinese Mingding Doctrine, called a complete system.

Receiving the Holy Spirit is a Key Part of the Apostle Paul's Gospel

Receiving the Holy Spirit is a key part of Jesus Christ's Gospel, and also a key part of the Apostle Paul's Gospel. Therefore, the gospel preached by Paul is truly the pure gospel. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, or being filled with the Holy Spirit, is a key component of the gospel.

Some people say to return to the truth. Return to where? Return to Martin Luther, to Calvin, to John Wesley. I find these quite strange. Why don't you return to the Apostle Paul? What is the standard? Establish Jesus Christ there. The gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel of the Apostle Paul, that is the standard. Wouldn't it be enough to return there? They just don't do it that way, they have to return to Martin Luther. Even now, there is still the faction of Martin Luther's justification by faith.

In fact, I tell you, did Martin Luther receive the Holy Spirit? I don't know. But the Apostle Paul asked people as soon as he saw them: Have you received the Holy Spirit? If that person said: No. He would lay hands on them and pray, so that they would receive the Holy Spirit and pray in tongues. Therefore, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ will baptize us with the Holy Spirit.

Many people are confused about what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is all about. Then they talk nonsense. But in fact, the Bible doesn't explain too much. How do you explain this? The Bible doesn't explain it, so just do it. Then when you do it, you will exclaim: Oh, it's really good. Therefore, you test whether a person has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit by seeing if he has received power. Although he has not completely put his flesh to death, he can perform miracles. Because by the power of the Holy Spirit, it's not that you can only do it when you are perfect, but you can do it when you are imperfect.

Brothers and sisters, don't be confused by such things. These things are extremely confusing. For example, you can't cast out demons. Why? There are still openings in you. After you are perfect, you will enter the coffin. When can you be perfect? When can you have no openings? Just talking nonsense.

Receiving the Holy Spirit, your power comes from the Holy Spirit, not because you are a perfect person, but because you are an imperfect person; it's not because we are perfect that we receive the Holy Spirit, but we receive the Holy Spirit when we have just believed in the Lord, we are filled with the Holy Spirit when we have just believed in the Lord, we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit becomes the power in our lives, becomes our wisdom, and becomes the source of our miracles. Therefore, we perform miracles in the name of Jesus Christ.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is Inseparable from Speaking in Tongues

The first time the Holy Spirit was received was on the day of Pentecost. Was there speaking in tongues? Yes. This shows that this is how God did it the first time. Later, many people felt: I have the Holy Spirit, but I don't speak in tongues. This is different from the first time. In the days of the Apostle Paul, Acts 19, receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, being filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, isn't this very simple? With these confirmations, and then you say that what I do is different from them, and you create your own, is that the gospel?

Speaking in tongues and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are inseparable. Even now, some people often examine whether their tongues are from God or from demons. The Bible does not have this. Moreover, Jesus clearly taught: If you ask your Father in heaven for the Holy Spirit, can God give you an evil spirit? Therefore, Jesus knew long ago that this group of people often talk nonsense. If you ask God for the Holy Spirit, how can you have an evil spirit?

Once I went to a church training, and during the tea break, a sister who had had very serious problems, I had delivered her. After the break, she brought another sister to me. I asked and found out that this sister was already mentally unstable. Her mother had just been diagnosed with cancer, and she was very broken and in great pain inside.

I said: Come, I'll lead you to be filled with the Holy Spirit. As soon as I led her to be filled with the Holy Spirit, she cried out. I cast out the demons, and the teachers who were teaching rushed over. I thought, let's go to class, this is their place, let's not go and cause trouble, so I rushed out and left. I didn't want to be a third wheel. Then they stroked the sister's chest and back.

I said: Continue to cast out the demons. What are you doing stroking her chest and back? Why don't you just do artificial respiration? Oh, these people are just doing this. They don't know that when the Holy Spirit fills her, the demons that are crying out are leaving. If you continue to lead her in prayer, after casting out the demons, she will begin to speak in tongues normally. Don't be afraid.

Therefore, the Holy Spirit is inseparable from speaking in tongues. Even if you imitate a few sentences, it doesn't matter. I have to tell you that the Holy Spirit is eager to fill us, God is eager to let His Spirit fill us, so receive it well. As for how your tongues are spoken, it doesn't matter, you must open your mouth and speak in tongues.

Have you ever seen such speaking in tongues and being filled with the Holy Spirit? Being filled with the Holy Spirit, and then closing your mouth for an hour, I went over and saw that the person was asleep. Is there such a thing as being filled with the Holy Spirit? No. So I tell you, it's really strange to say that you are filled with the Holy Spirit but don't speak in tongues. Some people say: Teacher, how do you pray? Easy, I just open my mouth and speak in tongues.

Occasionally, there are such situations. Our pastors, including myself, when preaching, seem to not know what to preach. Has this happened? Then immediately pray in tongues, and then remember it, and then start preaching again. Some of our pastors are very interesting, This problem, this problem... Come, let's pray first. He forgot what the problem was and quickly prayed in tongues.

Don't laugh. I tell you, with speaking in tongues, it is normal to persist for two or three hours, and time passes very quickly. Fortunately, there is speaking in tongues. What would we do without speaking in tongues? Closing our mouths and saying: I have been filled with the Holy Spirit. Wouldn't that be too funny? Therefore, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is inseparable from speaking in tongues. Paul spoke in tongues more than all of you.

The Power of Healing and Deliverance Comes from the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

There is a very interesting thing. Someone said: Teacher, this pastor has neither the baptism of the Holy Spirit nor speaking in tongues, but he cast out a demon. Do you feel confused? I feel quite confused. He did cast out the demon, but he doesn't have the baptism of the Holy Spirit, so what's the matter with his gospel? Confused.

Let me give you an example. Suppose a switch, when you press it, the light comes on, and when you press it again, it doesn't come on. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't work. What is this switch? It is a bad one. When you turn on the computer, sometimes it starts up, sometimes it doesn't start up. It is a bad computer. Do you understand? Can everyone understand?

If you can sometimes cast out a demon, but most of the time you can't, it's a bad one. If the gospel is a bad gospel, wouldn't it be completely ruined? Therefore, this kind of thing is specifically used to confuse people. If a person's ability truly comes from the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I tell you, everyone who comes to Jesus will be healed, because this gospel is good.

What does the Apostle Paul say? My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. Therefore, the Apostle Paul did healing and deliverance in Ephesus, and all who came to Jesus were healed; therefore, all who come among us are healed. Of course, there is one thing that needs to be resolved, that is, being healed is giving you a grace to lead you to repentance. If people do not repent, it is still a very troublesome thing.

The power of healing and deliverance comes from the baptism of the Holy Spirit. A four-year-old child, his mother had a high fever. He often participated in our gatherings and learned to lay hands on and pray for his mother. His mother sweated and her fever went down. There was a naughty child, his mother had a high fever, and he gave his mother a bowl of medicine. After drinking it, she felt that the taste was so strange. When she asked, it turned out that the child had just peed in it. What disease can be cured by urine? The child just saw a message saying that drinking boy's urine can cure diseases, and as a result, he messed up his mother.

So is there anyone who has been cured by drinking boy's urine? Possibly. Is there anyone who has not been cured by drinking boy's urine? Yes. Is there anyone who has been cured by seeing a doctor? Yes. Is there anyone who has not been cured by seeing a doctor? Yes. What is that? It's just that it doesn't work well, it's a bad one. The person who saw the doctor died, and the person who didn't see the doctor didn't die. What does that mean? It doesn't mean anything. Do you understand?

Remember, if the gospel we believe is the power of God, I tell you, it will definitely work, and it will always work. Therefore, the power of healing and deliverance comes from the power of the Holy Spirit, a lot of speaking in tongues, you will definitely get power, and it will be tested, because there is the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is Not Everything

Everyone must know that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not everything. If the baptism of the Holy Spirit is everything, it would be troublesome. Although receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and speaking in tongues are a very important part of the gospel, they are not everything. A Christian said to me: I have been born again. I said: How were you born again? He said: I have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

I think this is what kind of brain? He thought that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is only once, but the Apostle Paul's gospel is not once, it is always. Because the baptism of the Holy Spirit is like our mobile phone needing to be charged. Did you buy a mobile phone and only charge it once in your life? Charging it once can last a day, so doesn't it need to be charged the next day? For example, a child said: Mom, I'm thirsty. His mom said: Didn't you drink water last year? If you drank it last year, you won't be thirsty today. Isn't that very strange?

Wasn't your battery charged last year? Is the person who said this crazy? The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not everything, although it is not everything, but it is constantly being filled. The Apostle Paul said very interestingly in this chapter. Paul entered the synagogue, spoke boldly for three months, reasoning about the kingdom of God and persuading them about the things of the kingdom of God. If he didn't speak boldly for three months, but went in and spoke in tongues, praying all day long, and no one knew what he was talking about, what's the use? Was there any persuasion? No persuasion.

Some of our brothers and sisters, when serving their families, say: Teacher, I don't know how to serve. I have to explain how to serve. If I give you a session of speaking in tongues and then ask you: Do you understand? Can you understand? That would be a joke. Therefore, in Paul's ministry, understanding occupies a very important part.

He did not speak boldly in tongues in that place, but he spoke boldly and preached for three months, so that for two years all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. Receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit will give you strength, but more importantly, building the church, speaking about the things of the kingdom of God, letting people hear the word of the Lord, and persuading them are matters of understanding.

Paul said: I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. Speaking in tongues edifies oneself, but understanding edifies the church. Some people say: I have been born again and saved. They feel very great. I said: How were you born again and saved? He said: That day, my hairs stood on end, and a current flowed from my head to my feet. I said: Weren't you struck by lightning? What kind of messy teachings are these?

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an important part of the gospel, but it is not everything. Chinese Mingding Doctrine is a very systematic and complete theology. For example, this car is complete, so it can be driven on the road. If this car is not complete, even if it is an incomplete mobility scooter, it cannot be used, let alone driving a car.

This airplane must be a complete airplane in order to fly. Yesterday, I saw China's large aircraft Y-20, Woo, one flew past, Woo, one flew past, it's really good. The airplane model you put at home, it's okay if that thing can't fly, but can the Y-20 fly if it's incomplete? Brothers and sisters, be sure to pursue a complete gospel. The baptism of the Holy Spirit does not represent everything, understanding is more important.

Conclusion

In conclusion, in one sentence, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is Jesus' command; the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a very important command of Jesus before He ascended to heaven; the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an important part of the Apostle Paul's gospel. Without this, it is not the gospel, it is just a name. Now we must be strong and let our brothers and sisters' minds have a clearer understanding of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

May God bless you all! Amen!