Topic: Receiving the Holy Ghost

Question

Is the Holy Ghost received when a person believes, or afterward?

Answer

God has a provided way. Are you in It tonight? Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? Now you good Baptist friends of mine, and know that I belonged…I was a Baptist, and my pastor here is a Baptist. But I want to tell you something. Acts 19 says, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since...

Question

Dear Brother Branham, what is the difference when Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” and when they—when they had to go to the upper room to tarry?

Answer

It was a promise He gave them, breathed upon them His promise, said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” It was a promise. They went to the upper room to wait for the promise to be fulfilled. The same thing is when we lay hands upon you to be healed, then you go on about your business waiting for the prom...

Question

Brother Branham, Brother (Just a minute. This is pertaining to one of the ministers here. Let me read it first. [Brother Branham pauses and reads the question to himself—Ed.] Hum! Just a minute. Well, I tell you. I’m going to read it anyhow.)—Brother Branham, Brother Neville told me through prophecy that THUS SAITH THE LORD that I would receive the Holy Ghost. Telling me with this assurance that I would receive the Holy Ghost, I have not as yet received the Holy Ghost. Should I continue…?

Answer

Yes, indeedy! Do that. Continue on believing. Notice, I call…was standing at Brother Wood’s yesterday when a phone call came in from a man that’s in a wheelchair, that come here burdened for a brother or somebody that was—that was a alcoholic and been through the ’s-Anonymous and taken shots, in the...

Question

Brother Branham, I want to receive the Holy Ghost. I want to know what to do. I am burdened for my family to be saved. And the sister signed her name.

Answer

If you want to receive the Holy Ghost, let me tell you something, my dear Sister, if you’re here. And—and—I…(Brother Neville, is that a member of the church here? At the bottom…?…) I don’t—I don’t remember them either. But if—if you’re here, Sister B-o-u-g-h, if you’re here, let me tell you. The Bib...

Question

Dear Brother Branham, I have been baptized in Jesus’ Name. The Word says you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Does this—does this mean the baptism, the Holy Spirit, or does it mean I should receive the gift…definite…I should receive a definite experience with the baptism? I am anxious to be—to be filled with the—the Spirit. Please excuse the long note as I have been wanting to ask you this question for a long time. Thank you. And the person has their name signed. They’re out-of-town people.

Answer

Now, there’s a good question. Now, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a definite experience that a person must receive. Now let me kind of clear that up just for a minute. See? Now, many people have the—the idea…I believe it’s twisted. And maybe right here to the church and to the church that’s lis...

Question

Question for Sunday morning: (Sorry it’s this time, but…) At the instant of receiving the Holy Ghost, or the baptism of the Holy Ghost, is there a difference? Does a person speak with tongues? If not always, what manifestation is known?

Answer

Well, could you imagine a mother giving birth to a baby and not knowing it? She’d have to be unconscious not to know it. Neither can you receive the Holy Ghost without knowing it. There’s something takes place in you. See? There’s something that changes you. Your whole system, your whole spiritual s...

Question

Dear Brother Branham: Do you believe that signs should follow all who have the Holy Spirit? Jesus said so, Mark 16. If so, what about the people who believe the Message with all that is in them, yet they have not these signs? Are they unbelievers or do they need the Holy Spirit? If so, please instruct us today, how to receive the Holy Ghost. We believe you are God’s mouthpiece for our day. Your brother.

Answer

Thank you, my brother, for regarding me as your—your brother, and I think that that’s a very good question. Friends, yes, it is a little slack. I’d like to deal a little bit longer on that if I could. See? It is slack. Look! Some of you…See? When, you cannot receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost wit...

Question

What all can a person do…What all can a person do as a personal worker in dealing with a person seeking the Holy Ghost, and staying Scriptural?

Answer

All right. Just keep quoting the Word to him, is the best thing to do. The Word has the Light. Just say, “Brother, Jesus promised It. Remember, it is His promise.” Don’t shake him, push him, or move him around, or something. Just don’t try to—to…no, don’t you try to give It to him, ’cause you can’t...

Question

Now, the next question is: Is it true that you are not saved unless you have received the Holy Ghost?

Answer

There could take about a good five hour discussion on that. When you accept Christ as your Saviour and are then ready for baptism in water, you have not yet been converted; you’re only believing unto repentance. Conversion means “to be changed.” Now, to make this efficient, Jesus said to Peter who...

Question

“By one Spirit we are all baptized into the body of Christ.” (You all remember that that was the question I was on. Now that’s found, of course, in First Corinthians 12)…At the time we are…receive the new birth, this takes place. It’s this…Is this the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, or is there a later baptism, or is it a filling?

Answer

Now, there is quite a question, and we could spend the rest of our time right on that one, and tonight and tomorrow night and so forth. It would cover…it would—it would take and tie the entire Bible together. Every Scripture must properly tie together with every other Scripture in the Bible. But ju...

Question

So the Holy…Does the Holy Ghost still given by the laying on of hands? The disciples did this, Peter, Paul, and so on, and is it still possible? Paul received It in this manner.

Answer

Yes, dear brother, sister, whoever wrote the—the note. The Holy Ghost is absolutely to be received by laying on of hands. Now, many people call me…as I’ve been marked as a Pentecostal, saying I was Pentecostal. I never belonged to a Pentecostal organization. I’m absolutely free from all organizatio...

Question

Brother Bill, please tell me how to—to obtain the baptism of the Holy Ghost. It is by prayer, surrendered life, accepting It as we do healing? I know what it is to have faith for healing when you prayed for me here. Do you pray and lay hands on, for the baptism of the Holy Ghost? I was baptized in the name of “the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” Please tell me if I should be rebaptized in the Name of Jesus, as you spoke recently. Now, my dear Christian friend, I’m not telling you what to do. I’m only laying the Scripture down. And you know what, how the Holy Ghost can come right now while we’re speaking. The Holy Ghost is a gift of God. See? That’s a gift of God. It could come while we’re speaking. And I’ll tell you, when…If the people was taught right,… Some of you old-timers here, let me ask you something, you old-timers that’s been in the tabernacle. Watch when I baptize people. And you ministers take this for an example. I’ve taught those people till they had that life cleaned up before they went to that water, and I had them believing that God was obligated to keep His promise; as soon as they was baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit was right there to receive it. And when they come up out of the water, they received the Holy Ghost. That’s right. If you just…

Answer

Shepherds, teach your sheep, get them in the Bible here. Get away from that old textbook of some church, and get down here in the Bible where God taught, and you won’t have those troubles. Yes, laying on of hands is how we can receive the Holy Ghost, by some anointed person laying on of hands.

Question

Do you receive the Holy Ghost when you believe, or after you believe?

Answer

I’m re—not responsible for nothing else but to say what God says. Now, you don’t receive the Holy Ghost when you believe. You receive the Holy Ghost after you believe. You receive It after you believe. And It’s a gift of God. No faith, no nothing else would give It to you. You can’t just imagine you...

Question

Does the country need more seminaries and more preachers?

Answer

What we need is an old-fashion stirring again, where, old-time John Wesley revival, where they stood and preach all night long, and the power of the Holy Ghost falling over the audience. That’s what we need again. Amen. I kind of feel religious right now. So listen, friend, let me tell you something...

Question

How does a person get into the body of Christ?

Answer

If I asked you how’d I get across the Ohio River here? You’d say, “By the bridge.” That’s right. Everybody says, “By faith are you saved; Christ is the way.” That’s right, Christ is the way. But how do you get to Christ? Now, there’s His body; the Bible said, “Not by one letter, not by one’s confess...

Question

How were the first disciples prepared before they went out to preach?

Answer

Now, another thing, “Well, now my boy, I believe you’re to become a minister. We will see the doctor and elder and all of them, and we’ll give you the right hand of fellowship. We’ll send you off to a seminary, and we’ll teach you all about this thing.” Never that, no, sir, that wasn’t God’s prepara...

Question

Does believing you have the Holy Ghost mean you have received it?

Answer

But there’s some fish in there too. See? So, it ain’t my business. I just throw the net in the pond and pull it. God takes out what’s fish. Is that right? God takes the fish. I have nothing to do with it. I don’t keep His books. He knows who’s who. But it’s us to preach the Gospel. That’s up to God...

Question

Is a person a Christian before they receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost?

Answer

Now, I don’t mean to say you’re not a Christian till you get the Holy Ghost, get that. I mean that you’re—the Holy Ghost is the seal of your faith. You see? God—Abraham believed God by faith, and then He give him the seal of a promise. You see? And you believe God by faith and you’re justified by fa...

Question

Does a person have to tarry and wait to receive the Holy Ghost?

Answer

Every man and woman here who has a need of God can receive it right now. Do you believe that? How many believes with all your heart now? With…Now, you sinners and people seeking the Holy Ghost, here’s what the Holy Ghost is friends, you that’s seeking It. You don’t have to seek and beg and tarry. It...

Question

Did the virgin Mary receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost?

Answer

But the way the Bible said it, they were all with one accord, in one place, and suddenly there didn’t come a priest, there didn’t come a preacher; but there come a rushing mighty wind from above. And it filled all the house where they were setting. Big flames of fire set upon them. And they were all...