Rethinking Power, Witness, and the Deeper Life
Ecstasy or Joy?
Some use the word ecstasy to describe deep or emotional moments with the Lord. And truly, there are times when He overwhelms our hearts with His presence in unforgettable ways. But as I reflect on Scripture, I don’t find this term used — not even when the Holy Spirit fell in mighty power upon the early Church.
Instead, the Word shows us again and again that when the Spirit is poured out, the result is not emotional height or loss of control, but something far more enduring: Spirit-born joy, boldness, and the radiant witness of Christ.
“Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.”
— Acts 2:28
“Love, joy, peace…”
— Galatians 5:22
“And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.”
— Acts 13:52
Joy Anchors Us
So yes, the Lord may grant us tender, even overwhelming moments. But the abiding mark of the Spirit-filled life is not ecstasy — it is joy in Him. This joy anchors us. It guards us from chasing emotional highs on one side and minimizing the Spirit’s power on the other. And it points us beyond the moment, into the heart of God’s deeper purpose.
The Baptism Is Not the Pinnacle — It’s the Doorway
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not the peak of spiritual experience — it is the doorway. It empowers us to live a life of deep surrender, daily cross-bearing, and union with Christ.
“Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
— Luke 24:49
Jesus didn’t tell the disciples to preach right away. He told them to wait — because He knew they would need more than zeal. They needed divine power. Not just to speak with boldness, but to suffer, to love, and to endure.
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me…”
— Acts 1:8
Witnesses — Or Martyrs?
The Greek word for witnesses in Acts 1:8 is martys — the root of our word martyr. Jesus wasn’t just calling them to speak His name, but to embody His cross.
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”
— Philippians 3:10
“If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.”
— 1 Peter 4:14
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not merely empowerment for ministry — it is empowerment for living the crucified life.
Power to Go Deeper with Christ
This power enables us to go deeper with Christ, endure hardship, and reflect the Lamb. Yes, the apostles would preach — but they would also suffer, bleed, and die with joy, because the Spirit of glory and of God rested upon them.
And so it remains today.
Thrill vs. Fill
The Holy Spirit was never given to thrill us — but to fill us with Christ. That He might live through us, love through us, and be seen in us. Not just in our words, but in our walk. Not just in our joy, but in our death to self.
This is the deeper life.
Have We Forgotten to Tarry?
Tragically, much of the Church today has forgotten the call to tarry in Jerusalem. The urgency to act has replaced the call to wait. Many launch into ministry without the upper room, without the fire, and without the cross.
And the fields are littered with the wounded — not for lack of zeal, but for lack of power.
Power Without the Altar?
Today, many desire the power of the Spirit — but not the risks that come with it.
They want the fire without the altar, the anointing without the dying, the influence without the obedience. But the Spirit does not come to the self-preserving heart. He does not rest upon the proud. He comes to those who surrender.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not about gaining control — it is the call to lose it, that Christ may live.
We may imitate the motions, but without surrender, we will lack the fire.
Satan Hates the Spirit-Filled Life
It should come as no surprise that Satan has attacked the baptism in the Holy Spirit — through counterfeit emotionalism on one hand and suspicion and silence on the other.
He fears the Spirit-filled believer (he remembers well, the Early Church) — not because of mere manifestations, but because of the inward power to live holy, to love sacrificially, to discern truth, and to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.
The answer is not to reject the baptism — it is to recover it. In its fullness. In its purity. In the way it was meant to shape us into the likeness of Christ.