Rev. Dennis Bennett was an Episcopal priest who is known as the father of the modern charismatic movement. In 1960, he was praying with two friends, and Jesus baptized him in the Holy Spirit.He relays the story that he had done research about it, and the two friends he was with simply told him what had happened to them, and then prayed with him. His church at that time in Van Nuys, California then asked him to resign. He moved to another episcopal church in Seattle for 20 more years.
Rev. Bennett says, "I believe the baptism in the Holy Spirit to be the drivetrain by which the power of the Spirit travels from the engine to the wheels. Evangelism starts the engine, but without the drivetrain, the people of God do not move very far, and soon begin to wonder when Jesus is going to come and take them away from a world they obviously are unequipped to cope with!
Acts 8:14-17 clearly tells how Peter and John prayed with the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit after their conversion and baptism with water through Phillip the evangelist. Jesus made receiving the baptism in the Spirit mandatory -- and for a very good reason, since it is what makes the power of God available through the individual believer to the needy world."
He adds that in those early days in Van Nuys, he experienced what it was like to be early Christians, both from the excitement of discovering how real it all was and finding out how quickly one could become unpopular! He said they found out for themselves why people in the first century were willing to risk their lives to belong to the fellowship of Jesus of Nazareth. He didn't risk his life but said he did risk his reputation, job and friends. He saw the amazing fellowship and love that the people were drawn together after they had been set free in the Spirit.
He says, and I agree, that the church is not primarily a preaching or teaching institution. It must be charismatic. It must manifest the gifts and fruit of the Spirit, for they are the continuing signs that Jesus is alive and ready to bless people now. "People are weary of talk about religion," he says, "whether by semi-believing intellectuals or arrogant fundamentalists, and they are especially weary of ill-natured Christians who condemn everything and everyone, including one another. But if people see the glory of the indwelling Spirit in their friends and neighbors and experience His fruit and gifts pouring out of God's people to heal the body, mind and spirit, they will be drawn to the love of Jesus, and they will indeed receive His complete healing. Jesus did good works, healings and deliverances, and these are what showed people the kingdom of God was "at hand" - that its, right here and now.
He tells us to do the same. It isn't any different today. If people see Jesus doing these things through His followers, how can they refuse to accept Him?
Evangelism brings people to receive Jesus, and then the Holy Spirit can come and live in them. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is letting the power of the Spirit flow out to bless, first of all, the individual and then the world around."
I couldn't have said it better myself...
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