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. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: John 20:20-22 (NKJV)

When the Day of Pentecost had 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 the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)

Today is Pentecost Sunday. It marks the date when the first Christians were baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. It is not the day that Jesus established the church, although some teach that it is. The first disciples were actually saved when Jesus breathed on them in John 20:22 and told them to receive the Holy Spirit. The salvation of the disciples, which was the actual start of the church, occurred BEFORE Pentecost. Then, on Pentecost, they received the infilling of the Holy Spirit, where He came upon them in power.

Today, it occurs the same way. First, we are born-again. This is when the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, comes to dwell inside our own human spirits. We become new creations and we receive salvation and eternal life with Jesus. Then, we can become baptized in the Holy Spirit, which is a separate event from salvation. When it happens, the Holy Spirit isn’t just in us, but He is overflowing out of us and is upon us. At this point, we receive a supernatural prayer language and additional power and boldness that we did not have previously. It empowers us to be witnesses for Christ.

People who receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit are not any more saved than those Christians who have not. However, they are more empowered and better-equipped. The supernatural language of tongues allows believers to pray in a language that the enemy cannot understand. It is a code that cannot be broken by the devil. And it strengthens us in the inner man, which is something we need every day. Tongues also allows us to pray, praise and proclaim things when we don’t have the natural words to use. Tongues gives us the edge over the devil, the world, and our own natural understanding. It is the difference between being a “Clark Kent” kind of Christian and being a “Superman” kind of believer. It makes all the difference in our ability to live the Christian life successfully and supernaturally.

Today, if you are a believer that has not yet experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, you can receive it today. This day, or any day, can be your own personal day of Pentecost. Just ask Jesus to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Once you ask, you can believe it has been done since Jesus promised it to those who ask for it (Luke 11:13). Then, open your mouth and allow your tongue to speak the sounds you hear in your spirit. It may not make sense, and it may just be a word or two, but keep it up and your prayer language will develop more and more.

If you are not saved, you cannot yet receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit because He must first come to live inside you by salvation in Jesus Christ. It is easy to be saved. Just go to our “The Most Important Thing” page and say the prayer provided there and mean it from your heart. Then, you can ask Jesus for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Yes, today can be your own personal Pentecost! You can experience the power and boldness that only the Holy Spirit can provide. Just ask for it in faith and it is yours!