If imperfect parents know how to lovingly take care of their children and give them what they need, how much more will the perfect heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit’s fullness when his children ask him.

—Luke 11:13 (TPT)

In understanding Christ’s finished work, it is essential that we also recognize our need for the Holy Spirit’s power and influence in our lives. We aren’t saved by a theology but by a Person—one with a living personality, desires, ideas, and initiatives.

Sometimes, in preaching the message of effortless union with God—and the reality of the fullness of Christ within—we can miss the ongoing relational dynamic of that fullness. Everyone has access to it, but not all have opened their hearts to allow it to fully immerse them.

Though not a perfect analogy, consider this: someone sits in a boat on the ocean. The water surrounds them. Its fullness is available at any moment. Occasionally, the wind blows, spraying bits of the ocean onto their body, giving them a clear sense of its presence. But that doesn’t mean they’ve actually dived in.

The word baptism literally means “immersion.” The English word baptize is a transliteration of the Greek baptizō, meaning to immerse. Baptism is when someone dives into the One who already surrounds and upholds the “boat” of their life. It is an act of surrender to the all-encompassing passion and love of God.

I believe we are in a season where God is inviting people into a fresh baptism of the Spirit. This invitation flows from the foundation of Christ’s finished work and the gift of fullness we already possess. Because of Christ’s work on our behalf, we are completely forgiven and cleansed of anything that could hinder our fellowship with God. Baptism in the Spirit is simply intimate communion with the God who is truly with us.

This baptism is not a one-time event; it is a continual invitation. That said, there is often a distinct “first time” of diving in. This initial experience may be accompanied by certain signs. The greatest and most important sign of someone encountering God is love. Let that be clear from the outset. Without the “sign” of love, everything else is meaningless (see 1 Corinthians 13).

Still, other important signs can accompany this immersion, including the gift of tongues. Tongues often dismantle pride, as the individual feels a prompting to speak syllables or words that make no sense to the rational mind. Yet, when they yield and release those sounds, a river breaks loose within.

Scripture tells us that the gift of tongues strengthens us inwardly (see the chapter after 1 Corinthians 13). Most other gifts are intended to bless others, but tongues uniquely blesses and edifies the one who speaks. When we pray in tongues, our minds may not understand, but our spirits are praying, aligning with the perfect will of God.

This gift is a sign of God’s Kingdom being established on earth. Though it was released with power in the early church, it went mostly quiet for nearly 1,900 years. That’s not to say it disappeared entirely—some still experienced it—but it wasn’t widely embraced. That changed in the early 1900s with the Spirit’s movement at Azusa Street in Los Angeles, California, building upon something that had taken place a few years earlier in Topeka, Kansas.

Returning to the point about love, one of the greatest signs and wonders at Azusa was the unity among different races during a time of deep segregation. Many people were shocked by the sight of Black and white individuals worshiping together in extended meetings. It was a sign of a universal divide coming down—of God’s Kingdom breaking in.

A side note: The gift of tongues can also manifest as a real foreign language unknown to the speaker’s rational mind. This is what happened in Acts 2, though it is not the only way it manifests. Paul refers to “tongues of men and of angels.” The gift may come out as a new human language, or it may be the heavenly language of angels given to a person.

In the early 1900s, Jesus was awakening His church to this precious gift. The enemy, enraged by this fresh outpouring of God’s victorious Kingdom, stirred up two world wars in its aftermath. Even now, he seeks to divide and incite conflict, perhaps aiming to prevent the unfolding of this Kingdom through another world war. But his schemes will ultimately fail. The Kingdom of God is unstoppable. As we move deeper into the twenty-first century, a greater release of the Spirit is upon us. Azusa was only the beginning of greater things to come.

Let’s prepare our hearts. Pentecost Sunday is approaching. I initially planned to release this article for the June edition, as June 1 marks the day of Pentecost on the Jewish calendar (celebrated by the global Church on Sunday, June 8). But as I write this, I’m reminded: it’s no longer about a day or season or holiday. That’s the beauty of the finished work—the heavens are open now. Pentecost is every day! Let us not limit ourselves by waiting for something that is already here.

The heavens don’t magically align on Pentecost when we shout and pray the “right” way. Our heavenly Father is good and desires to give us the Spirit now. Pentecost is a time to build our faith and stir our expectation—but it’s all already available.

In closing, I invite you to prayerfully watch or listen to the following message from our dear friend Bill Vanderbush. For those in New Jersey, Bill will be with us at the Almond Branch on Pentecost Sunday!

And may the Father release to your heart a deeper revelation of His desire to give you every spiritual gift and blessing.