As Pentecostal believers, we are no strangers to the gifts and works of the Holy Spirit. Even so, a well-pointed question can sometimes catch us off guard: “How exactly do you minister the baptism with the Holy Spirit?”
This is one question that helped hone my own ministry practice. We can operate from assumed clarity, but scrutiny can reveal some gaps in our theology, understanding and praxis.
Thankfully, we are not left in the dark on these matters. Scripture provides both a theological foundation for our belief in the subsequent, distinct work of empowerment that follows regeneration in a believer, and snapshots of practice in the early church. Oftentimes, we just need a good guide to help us really comprehend and articulate what we have been encountering.
Steve Schell, senior pastor of Northwest Church (Federal Way Foursquare Church) in Federal Way, Wash., is a great guide for these matters. In this Studio session, recorded live at Foursquare Connection 2015 in Anaheim, Calif., he traverses Old Testament and New Testament terrain to provide a broad, articulate perspective on this deeply important aspect of our faith.
Pastor Steve Schell traverses Old Testament and New Testament terrain to provide a broad, articulate perspective on this deeply important aspect of our faith.
Those who shared the time in Anaheim, Calif., were also treated to personal testimony from Steve’s own life, which took the theology and made it winsome, passionate and vulnerable.
Pastors, leaders and disciples looking to better answer the twin questions of what the baptism with the Holy Spirit is, and how we should minister this empowering, would do well to start with this practical teaching.
To see more from Connection 2015, click here.
