From the archives

There was a Man sent from God, whose name was Kenneth E.
Hagin!
Kenneth E. Hagin, fondly called Brother Hagin and later Dad by
many was the Pioneer of the Teaching of Faith majorly during
the Last century. With a ministry that spanned almost 70 years,
He held on to the integrity of the Word with honour, Love,
grace and integrity!
The story of many ministers of the Gospel in this generation
will remain incomplete without the Hagin influence ,no matter
how minimal.
I learnt Faith from Bro Hagin. I learnt the Things of the Spirit
From Brother Hagin. I learnt Prayer from Brother Hagin. I learnt
to walk in Love from Brother Hagin. I learnt Healing from
Brother Hagin. I learnt many and a whole lot of truths about
ministry from Brother Hagin. He is arguably my greatest
influence.
Honour to whom it is due. Kenneth E. Hagin deserves to be
read by any and every minister of the Gospel.
Sit back and enjoy this article from Brother Hagin.
Your Believing affects your receiving- Kenneth E. Hagin
In Mark 9:23, Jesus said, “If thou canst believe, all things are
possible to him that believeth.” According to this and other
verses in the Bible, what you believe determines what you
receive from the Lord. In other words, your believing affects
your receiving.
Notice I said that your believing affects your receiving. Your
receiving isn’t based on another person’s faith; it’s based on
your faith. And just hearing someone else preach the Word
won’t give you faith to receive unless you get into the Word
for yourself.
Years ago, I preached at a small Full Gospel church in Kansas.
The pastor told me that more than half of his congregation
had not received the baptism in the Holy Ghost. They were
good Christian people, but they hadn’t received this Bible
experience. So at the pastor’s request, I spent several
evenings teaching on the baptism in the Holy Ghost and how
to be filled with the Spirit. Each night, I encouraged the people
to bring their own Bible to the services so they could read
along with me and not just take my word for what I was
teaching. You see, I wanted them to see it in the Word for
themselves.
One of the members of the church was a leading businessman
in the city. Unfortunately, this gentleman came to church
straight from work each evening, and he never brought his
Bible. He came every night to hear me preach, but he never
read the scriptures for himself.
As we neared the end of the meetings, everyone in the church
except this businessman, had received the baptism in the Holy
Spirit. Although he’d heard the same teaching everyone else
heard, he still hadn’t received.
I finally said to the man personally, “Bring your Bible to
church,” and the man brought his Bible with him to the next
service. He sat there and followed along with me, reading for
himself what the Bible said on the subject of being filled with
the Holy Ghost.
As I was nearing the end of the service, this man stood up,
closed his Bible, and said, “I can’t wait! I can’t wait! Lay hands
on me right now. I’ll be filled now!” By the time he got down to
the altar and I barely touched his forehead, he had both hands
up and was talking in tongues fluently!
Now why didn’t he get filled previously? Hadn’t I preached the
same message? Hadn’t I used the same scriptures? Yes! But
he didn’t have faith for himself all those other nights. He heard
my faith, but he couldn’t see it for himself. And without light—
without seeing it for himself and having revelation and
understanding on the subject—he had no faith to receive. But
when the light came, and faith rose up in his own heart, he
received!
Afterward, this man told me he’d been brought up in a Full
Gospel church and had been a member for more than 30
years. He said, “I can see why you wanted me to bring my
Bible and read for myself. You quoted those scriptures in the
previous services, but when you read them then, I interpreted
them according to what I already thought they said. I’ve been
in Sunday school and church all my life, so I assumed I
already knew what those verses meant.
“But when I had my Bible right there in front of me, and as I
read those scriptures, I began to see that they didn’t say what
I thought they said. You weren’t even finished with your lesson
when—suddenly—it registered! Faith rose up in me, and I just
couldn’t wait. I had to be filled immediately! And I was!”
This man finally had faith because he had light. He saw the
truth of God’s Word for himself, and when it registered on the
inside of him, faith came. And his faith enabled him to receive
what he desired. He didn’t have to wait. He received
immediately!
Some people quote the same scriptures they’ve heard a
preacher quote and wonder why they don’t get results. They’ll
say, “I’m standing in faith that it will happen sometime.” But
they never receive. Why? Because if light hasn’t come—if the
truth hasn’t dawned on their heart—faith is not there. But when
the light comes, faith is present! And when faith is there,
people aren’t waiting for “sometime.” They believe they
receive right now (Mark 11:24)!
I received the New Birth by faith. And I was healed, raised up
from the deathbed, by faith.
I also received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and spoke with
other tongues by faith. Where did I get the faith to receive the
baptism in the Holy Spirit? From reading the Word of God.
Speaking of the gift of the Holy Spirit, Peter said in Acts 2:39,
“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all
that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.’’
That includes me!
Acts 2:4 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance.” I received the same New Birth they did in the
Book of Acts. So I expected to receive the same enduement
of power they received. The light of God’s Word on the subject
had come, so by faith, I received the Holy Ghost and spoke
with other tongues.
I had read all those verses from Acts chapter 2 before, and I
had quoted them. But the light didn’t come the first time I
read them. That’s why you need to get in the Word for yourself
and stay in the Word—so the light of the truth of the Word can
dawn on your spirit. You need to keep meditating on the Word
concerning healing or the baptism in the Holy Ghost—or
whatever it is you need to receive from God. Sooner or later, if
you’ll continue to meditate on it and speak it, the truth will
register in your spirit. The light will be there, and you will
receive whatever it is you want or need from God.
Just as the New Birth is not a mental experience or a physical
experience, healing and the baptism in the Holy Spirit are not
mental or physical experiences (although it is manifested on
the outside, divine healing is spiritual—it starts on the inside,
in your spirit). You receive healing or the baptism in the Holy
Spirit the same way you receive the New Birth. You receive
revelation and understanding in your spirit first. And just as
sure as you receive it in your spirit, it won’t be long before
what you are believing shows up on the outside. But the
manifestation doesn’t always show up instantly.
Sometimes people have to contend—stand their ground—in
faith until the manifestation comes, especially in the area of
healing. But I think we often make a mistake by talking so
much about standing and not as much about receiving. For
example, it would sound ridiculous to hear someone say, “I
went to the altar and asked Jesus to come into my heart. I
cried and prayed, asking God to forgive me and to cleanse me
from all unrighteousness. Now I’m waiting for the
manifestation of my salvation. I’m just standing in faith for the
answer.” No, Jesus died for your salvation. He bought it and
paid for it in full. You can receive it now!
I want you to understand this: Salvation, healing, and the
baptism in the Holy Ghost are all gifts that you receive now!
And you receive salvation, healing, and the baptism in the
Holy Ghost in your spirit, or your heart. The Bible says, “With
the heart man believes” (Rom. 10:10).
Faith is of the heart. How does faith come? By hearing the
Word of God (Rom. 10:17). So when ministering on the
baptism in the Holy Spirit, for example, I show people what the
Word of God says about the experience.
From Acts chapter 2 through Acts chapter 19, almost every
time it is recorded that folks received the Holy Ghost, it says or
infers that they spoke with tongues (Acts 2:1–4; Acts 8:14–
18; Acts 10:44–46; Acts 19:1–6). So when I minister to
people, I make sure they expect to receive the baptism in the
Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. I say,
“I’m going to lay my hands on you. The Holy Ghost will come
upon you. Your tongue will want to say something that isn’t
English; just speak it out.”
When I lay hands on people who are in faith, expecting to
receive, they instantly start speaking with tongues. How do
they get that kind of faith? By hearing the Word of God
concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit—by believing and
accepting the Word of God for themselves. Their believing
affects their receiving.
You can receive from the Lord in the same way! Whether you
need salvation, healing, the baptism in the Holy Ghost, or
some other gift God has provided, you can receive by faith in
God’s Word. Your believing affects your receiving!
Blessed? This is worth reading and acting upon! Have a
blessed day!Jesus is Lord,We win!