The Holy Spirit—The

Missing Ingredient

My Personal Testimony

by

Dr. Frederick K. C. Price

HARRISON HOUSE

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the

King James Version of the Bible.

13th Printing

Over 100,000 in Print

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

ISBN 0-89274-081-7

Copyright © 1978 by Frederick K. C. Price

Crenshaw Christian Center

P. O. Box 90000

Los Angeles, California 90009

Published by Harrison House, Inc.

P. O. Box 35035

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74153

Printed in the United States of America.

All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents

and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form

without the express written consent of the Publisher.

Preface

When Jesus had cast the demons out of the

Gadarene demoniac and was about to leave that region,

the man out of whom the demons had departed desired

to go with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying:

Return to thine own house, and show how great

things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way,

and published throughout the whole city how great

things Jesus had done unto him.

In other words, what Jesus was saying to this man, in so many

words, was, “Go and give your testimony!”

That is what has prompted me, along with the

guidance of the Holy Spirit, to tell “HOW GREAT

THINGS THE LORD HAS DONE FOR ME.” So it is

Scriptural to give one’s personal testimony and that’s

what this story is all about. I want to share with the

household of faith, that which I have experienced with

the Lord.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is a very active

issue in these times. There is so much unnecessary fear

and misunderstanding about it. I want to share my

experience that it might be used of the Lord to bring

many more of His hungering, thirsting children into

that place of full joy and victory. The enemy would have

us remain in the dark concerning this great and

important issue. But thanks be to God, the entrance of

His Word brings light.

If you desire to be used of the Lord in the fullest

sense and to come into that place of full joy, victory and

power, this story may help to point you in that

5

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

direction. I too, for many years sought to serve the Lord

with my full being, but always found myself limited by

something that I could not put my finger on. I thought

the problem was external—but in reality the problem

was within.

The Lord has shown me that in order to serve Him

with my full life, I MUST HAVE POWER. And He is the

only one who can give that power. I always thought that

I had all that God had to give when I received Christ as

my personal Saviour, but I found that that was untrue.

When you come right down to it, the only reason I

thought that was because that’s what “everyone” said.

Many leading Bible authorities had taught that we

received the Holy Spirit and all of His gifts at

conversion. Well, THE BIBLE TEACHES

DIFFERENTLY AND THANK GOD I FOUND IT OUT.

The joy, the victory in prayer and in every other area of

my Christian life, I never knew until I came into the

baptism with the Holy Spirit. Believe me when I tell

you, IT’S REAL! This is my story. I share it with you, in

the hope that you too, may come to know Jesus, not

only as Saviour and Lord, but also as the Baptizer with

the Holy Spirit.

Frederick K. C. Price

6

The Holy Spirit

1

The Missing Link

There was a nagging sensation within me that

something was wrong, something was missing. I knew

that there was no power being manifested in my own

life or as far as I could see, in the life of the Church.

For many months I had been completely dissatisfied

with our Wednesday night prayer services. They

seemed so empty and formal. There was a lack of

conviction, of real joy and victory. Our prayers seemed

to be rising no further than the ceiling. There was a

dimension of the Christian life and experience that was

lacking, but I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.

Every time I read the words of Jesus in John 14:12,

... the works that I do, shall he do also, and

greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto

my Father,

it left me longing. I was not witnessing these “greater

works” in my own ministry or in the ministry of others

that I knew with two exceptions—Kathryn Kuhlman

and Oral Roberts.

I had read Kathryn Kuhlman’s first book, I Believe

in Miracles1 and it had stirred my soul. This was the

missing dimension—THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE

POWER OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD. Every time I read

the Gospels and the book of Acts, I was impressed with

1 Kuhlman, Kathryn, I Believe In Miracles, Prentice Hall (Fourth edition)

March 1964

7

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

the demonstrations of power that were manifested

throughout—signs, miracles and healings.

Seek And Ye Shall Find

On December 25, 1969, my wife Betty and the kids

and I spent the day with Betty’s Aunt Tena. We had

turkey and all the trimmings. Tena wanted us to spend

the day with her so we could celebrate Christ’s birthday

together.

I was determined just to sit around and relax the

whole day. And that’s exactly what I did. While

lounging around, my eyes fell on a book lying on a table

in the living room. The picture on the front caught my

attention—it was Kathryn Kuhlman. When I read the

title, God Can Do It Again2. I said to myself, “this must

be more about miracles that God is performing through

her ministry.”

I picked the book up and headed for the den. I found

a comfortable chair and sat down to read. I couldn’t put

the book down. As I read each account I felt a strange

sensation come over me. I began to cry tears of joy as I

read story after story of how the power of God was

healing and changing lives TODAY, IN OUR TIME.

Every chapter was read in tears. Tears of joy and tears

of revelation and discovery. I realized that this was

what I was longing for: the manifestation of the

power of God, the same kind of power that was

evidenced in the life and ministry of Jesus Himself.

After reading and discovering that all of these miracles

were the result of the operation of the Holy Spirit, I was

determined to seek the appropriation of the operation of

the Holy Spirit in my own life and ministry.

2 Kuhlman, Kathryn, God Can Do It Again, Prentice Hall, 1969

8

The Holy Spirit

I knew that Kathryn Kuhlman came to Los Angeles,

to the Shrine Auditorium once each month. I knew also

from reading her books, that if you wanted to secure a

seat you had to come early Sunday morning and stand

in line until one o’clock, when the doors opened. Even

then, there was no guarantee that you would get a seat.

I desired very much to go to one of these services to

observe first hand what was happening.

Being a Pastor and having the responsibility of

preaching every Sunday, I doubted if I would ever have

the opportunity to go to one of the services. There was

really no way that I could justify leaving my own

congregation to go somewhere else. I had just about

given up hope of ever getting to one of the services,

when I discovered that our own choir directress was

singing with the Kathryn Kuhlman choir that sang for

the services every month. She told me that she could

get me in on her pass, so I could leave my church and

arrive at the Shrine just in time for the service. She

also said that it would be possible for me to sit right on

the platform. Well, that was more than I ever dared to

hope for!

In His Presence

The day was January 18, 1970, and it was with

great expectation that I walked across the platform and

took my seat on that Sunday evening. As the choir

began to sing, electricity shot up and down my spine.

Finally, the choir began to sing He Touched Me and

Miss Kuhlman walked on stage. It was like a signal and

everyone stood up and began applauding and joining in

with the choir singing, He Touched Me, then, He’s The

Saviour of My Soul, and finally, How Great Thou Art.

My joy overflowed! Tears were streaming down my

9

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

face! I knew that I was in the presence of the Almighty.

The service was fantastic. People from all over that

great auditorium were coming forward claiming to have

been healed of all sorts of ailments—from deafness to

cancer. HERE WERE MIRACLES HAPPENING

RIGHT BEFORE MY VERY EYES. I imagine I felt like

those people felt in the city of Jerusalem during the

days of the earthly ministry of Christ. HERE WAS

POWER; here were the greater works that Jesus had

referred to so many centuries before.

I knew in that moment that this was the answer.

Miss Kuhlman was saying that all of these miracles

were the direct result of the manifestation of the power

of the Holy Spirit. Not only that, but she further stated

that she felt these signs, wonders and miracles should

be happening in every church across the world. I knew

in my heart that SHE WAS RIGHT.

The one thing that day that really turned me on was

Miss Kuhlman’s announcement about the subject on

which she planned to preach on her return to the

Shrine, February 15, 1970. Can you guess what it was

to be? The Holy Spirit. I almost fell off of my chair! The

conviction came to me immediately that I was on the

right track. I left the Shrine that day determined to

seek for this power of the Holy Spirit.

The Word of the Lord

One day, shortly thereafter, it was impressed upon

me to read the entire book of Acts paying special

attention to every reference made concerning the

activities of the Holy Spirit: It was Monday, my day off,

and I drove down to the beach at Santa Monica to be

alone. I parked as close as I could to the ocean and

opened my Bible to the book of Acts. As I read, I noticed

10

The Holy Spirit

that every time the Holy Spirit manifested Himself,

something happened. SOMETHING DEFINITE AND

SPECTACULAR HAPPENED!

The Apostles preached and witnessed to the reality

of Christ with a power that could not be withstood. Not

only that, but in every case where someone received the

Holy Spirit or the fullness of the Spirit, SOMETHING

HAPPENED. There was a manifestation that indicated

to the person receiving the Holy Spirit and to those

standing by that something most definite had occurred.

In many references, the Scriptures plainly stated

that those who received the Holy Spirit spoke in

“unknown tongues,” immediately. This was the

EVIDENCE! It was truly amazing. I saw this and yet I

didn’t see it. I saw it, but I didn’t understand it. How

blind we can be sometimes! I had been taught that

everyone who received Christ as their personal Saviour

automatically received the Holy Spirit at the same time.

Therefore, every time I read these passages in Acts

about “unknown tongues” being related to the initial

receiving of the Holy Spirit, my mind drew a blank.

Many times we Christians miss the blessings the

Lord has for us because of our prejudiced minds. Many

times we believe what men say without ever really

consulting the Word of God. I was later to learn that in

fact what really happens is that the Holy Spirit receives

us at the time of conversion and baptizes us into the

Body of Christ. We then become members of His Body

and that makes us one with Him.

That’s one thing; but WE STILL NEED POWER TO

FUNCTION IN THE BODY AND THAT’S WHERE

THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES IN.

Remember, in the first chapter of Acts, Jesus was

talking to His disciples and He said:

11

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy

Ghost is come upon you.... (Acts 1:8).

Surely if they who walked and talked with Jesus

needed this power in operation in their lives, how much

more do we today need it?

A Friend Speaks

During the week of February 8, 1970, I received a

phone call from a friend of mine, Jack Goffigon—a

Chaplain with the Central jail in downtown Los

Angeles. He invited me to have lunch with him the

following week. In the mean time, Miss Kuhlman was

coming back to the Shrine on the 15th. Remember that

she was supposed to speak on the subject of the Baptism

with the Holy Spirit. Since her meeting in January,

Miss Kuhlman had been to Vietnam and back. So, on

the 15th, instead of preaching about the Holy Spirit,

she talked about her trip to Vietnam. As you can well

imagine, I was disappointed beyond description.

Jack and I met for lunch on Thursday, February 19,

1970. Out of the clear blue, during our conversation

over lunch, he began to relate an experience he had had

several years before. He said that his life and ministry

had been so empty, so void of power. One day, at a

meeting he attended with several other ministers, he

was introduced to the subject of the Baptism with the

Holy Spirit. When the meeting was over and the men

were standing around in groups of two and three,

someone asked him if he was interested in receiving the

gift of the Holy Spirit; he said that he was.

The man told him that he was going to lay hands on

him and pray as the Apostles had done in the first

century. Jack said he had no idea what to expect. He

12

The Holy Spirit

was told to ask the Lord to baptize him with the Holy

Spirit. He did this and then it happened, just like on

the day of Pentecost! He opened his mouth and began

speaking in “unknown tongues.” He told me that he was

both amazed and thrilled. Since that day, his joy has

been full.

I was fascinated. I related to him how I was feeling

and what I was experiencing. It sounded just like his

experience prior to receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.

As we parted that day, he said that he had some books

that he thought I would be interested in that might be

helpful in resolving my problem. They were: Face Up

With A Miracle3, by Don Basham; They Speak With

Other Tongues4, by John Sherrill; This Awakening

Generation5, by John H. Osteen.

Light and Darkness

As I look back upon that time together, I stand in

awe at the realization that God uses human

instruments to bring a hungering, seeking child of His

to that place of joy and fulfillment. Well, I left Jack and

headed for the office determined to read all three of the

books—not knowing what to expect—but hoping to find

my answer.

I read Face Up With a Miracle first and immediately

was struck with the conviction that this was it. After

reading the very first chapter, I knew without a doubt

that God was leading me. As I read Don’s account of his

3 Basham, Don, Face Up With A Miracle, Northridge, California, Voice

Christian Publication Inc., March 1969

4 Sherrill, John, They Speak with Other Tongues, New York, A Pyramid

Book published by arrangement with McGraw-Hill Inc., Pyramid edition

October 1965.

5 Osteen, John H., This Awakening Generation, Humble, Texas, John H.

Osteen Publications.

13

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

hunger and thirst after that missing dimension in his

own life, I thought for a moment that I was reading my

own story.

I finished Face Up With a Miracle and read the

other two books with the deepening conviction that I

was about to reach the end of my quest. When I had

finished the last book, I knew that this was it. THE

BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE

EVIDENCE OF SPEAKING WITH OTHER TONGUES

WAS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. This was the

doorway into that supernatural realm of the

manifestation of the power of God.

In order to do the works and “greater works” that

Jesus did, we must have the same enabling power that

He had. And thank God that power is available to us

today! Looking back over His life, it is strikingly evident

that Jesus did not set about to do any ministry work

until He had been anointed with the Holy Spirit at

John’s baptism. That is why He could do the works that

He did, because the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him.

He needed to be filled with the Spirit of God. I too

needed this enabling power in order to be an effective

witness for Jesus. That was the missing ingredient,

SPIRITUAL POWER.

This somewhat confused me at first because, as I

said earlier in the story, I had been taught that every

believer received the Holy Spirit the moment he

believed and received Christ. But what I discovered

after reading these books and checking the Scriptures

again was that in reality, the Holy Spirit receives us

into the Body of Christ and forms Christ within us. He

takes up His residence within us and a well of water

begins to bubble up into everlasting life, within our

lives. In other words, the Spirit baptizes us into the

14

The Holy Spirit

Body of Christ. But in order for us to really live the

overcoming, joyous and victorious life in Christ, WE

MUST GO ONE STEP FURTHER and allow Jesus

Himself to baptize us with the Holy Spirit. Then and

only then does the well that was established at

conversion burst forth and become rivers of living

water. That is when the POWER comes and that was

what was missing in my life and ministry. I saw this

and was thrilled. Thrilled because this power was mine

to have and was available to me at that very moment!

In Face Up With A Miracle6 it is stated that anyone

can receive the Holy Spirit in the privacy of his own

room. All that is necessary is to ASK JESUS BY

FAITH TO BAPTIZE YOU. Then open your mouth and

speak in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.

Well, it was late now, but I was determined to put

into execution what I had discovered. Alas! Many times

we are not aware of the hang-ups that reside within us.

I knew so well and had even taught and preached the

fact that we cannot rely on feelings or emotions when

seeking the things of God. I didn’t realize how hung-up I

was with regard to feelings until that moment. I say it

again, alas!

I followed the instructions as they were written and

nothing happened. Let me say it again— NOTHING

HAPPENED! I was crushed beyond measure. Tears

streamed down my face as I pleaded with God for the

Holy Spirit, but nothing happened. Nothing came. I was

completely demoralized. With tears in my eyes I headed

for home. My wife knew that something was wrong

when I came in looking utterly dejected. I told her what

I had discovered in the books and my effort to receive

the Holy Spirit—and how miserably I had failed.

6 Basham, op. cit.

15

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

Hope Arises

The sun rose on Friday, February 20, 1970, but it

was a gloomy day for me. I was disgusted and

frustrated as I drove to the church. Arriving at the

office I decided to go over the books again to see if I had

missed anything or misread some of the instructions.

After several hours, the thought occurred to me that I

might need the help of someone who had already

received the Holy Spirit. I remembered reading in John

Sherrill’s book about a Harald Bredesen who had

received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I leafed through the book and found the reference I

was looking for. But, Harald Bredesen was in New York

and that was a long way from Los Angeles. At this point

I was becoming very agitated and had just about

decided to use my T.W.A. credit card. You guessed it!

Fly to New York and find Harald Bredesen.

While this thought was turning over in my mind,

the name Dennis Bennett caught my eye. Reading

along, I discovered to my happy surprise that he

pastored a church right here on the West Coast—

Seattle, Washington, to be exact. Well, I thought, this is

right here in my own back yard. I noticed in John

Sherrill’s account that Father Bennett had a service

every Friday night known as an “information service,”

designed especially for those seeking the Holy Spirit.

This was it! Just what I was looking for and this was

Friday!

I wondered what time the service was held. So, I

decided before making a reservation on a flight to

Seattle that I would call and find out the time. When I

reached the church secretary she told me the time of

the service and then added, “But I’m sorry, Father

16

The Holy Spirit

Bennett is out of town today.” I don’t have to tell you

what happened inside of me do I? I will leave that to

your imagination.

I told her that I was calling from Los Angeles and

greatly desired to talk with Father Bennett. Then she

made a statement that again fired my hopes. Father

Bennett was speaking right here in the Los Angeles

area. Choking back the excitement in my voice, I asked

her if she knew his itinerary. She told me to hold on

while she checked. Waves of excitement were rolling

over me as I waited.

With a note of regret, she informed me that she

could not find it anywhere; but she could give me the

name and number of the people with whom he was

staying—right here in the San Fernando Valley. That

was good enough for me. Thanking her, I hung up and

dialed the number in the Valley. No answer! I tried

again; still no answer. I called that number most of the

day and never reached anyone. Now frantic, I called

Seattle again hoping that by now the secretary had

found the list of his speaking engagements. She was

sorry, but she hadn’t.

Completely shattered, I asked her if she knew of

anyone, anyone at all, here in the Los Angeles area who

could help me in my quest. She thought for a moment

and said there was one person she was sure could help

me. The fires of hope began to burn within me again.

His name was Larry Christenson and he pastored a

Lutheran Church in San Pedro, California. That was all

she knew. I told her “Thank you, I will find him.” I was

determined to go over San Pedro with a fine tooth comb

until I found Larry Christenson.

Crushed Again

17

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

Calling information, I was able to locate his church.

With the number in hand, I picked up the receiver and

started to dial. Something said, “Don’t call, go.” San

Pedro wasn’t far and I was at the explosion point

anyway. So, I hopped in the car and at low altitude flew

to San Pedro.

Arriving at the church, I was soon faced with

another disappointment. Friday was his day off. “Oh

no!” I said to myself, “not another dead end street.” His

secretary told me that she thought he might be coming

in for a special meeting—she wasn’t positive though.

I had come this far, so I decided to wait, hoping

against hope that he would indeed come in. Leading me

to a small prayer chapel, she said I could wait here and

she would inform Pastor Christenson of my presence. I

imagine she was wondering how I happened to be there.

It was probably an unusual sight to see a black man

come to a white Lutheran Church to receive the gift of

the Holy Spirit.

As I waited, I prayed and read. Oh, how I hoped

that this was it! Presently, the door opened and Larry

Christenson walked in—his face questioning. I related

my experiences up to that moment ending with my

purpose for being there. He assured me that if I could

wait until his meeting was over, he would be most

happy to talk with me.

I consented; after all, what else could I do? I was at

the point of breaking open like a ripe melon. If I didn’t

get some help and guidance soon, as far as I was

concerned, I was finished. I say finished, because I

knew that I could not continue on in the ministry in the

face of this emptiness and lack of power.

When he returned, we went into his office. After

some time exchanging thoughts and relating my

18

The Holy Spirit

feelings and desires, he asked me if I was ready to

receive the Holy Spirit. (Was I ready!) I indicated that I

was.

When he suggested that we go into the sanctuary

and kneel at the altar, I agreed. At this point, I was

ready to stand on my head, if necessary, to receive the

Holy Spirit. He gave me instructions—what to do, what

to expect. What he said sounded exactly like what I had

already done. The question arose, “It had not worked

before; HOW was it going to work now?”

He told me simply to ASK THE LORD JESUS TO

BAPTIZE ME WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, BELIEVE

THAT HE HAD DONE IT, open my mouth, lift up the

sound of my voice and speak forth whatever words the

Holy Spirit placed on my lips. I was tense with

expectancy as I followed his instructions. All that came

out of my mouth was the sound you hear when the

doctor puts that awful tasting, little wooden stick in

your mouth to hold your tongue down when he tells you,

“Open your mouth, stick out your tongue, and say a-a-

h.” You know the sound.

I could hear him praying in the most beautiful

language. It was so fluent and rhythmical. Then he

began to sing in this language. I tell you it was thrilling

and so beautiful. He laid his hands on me and told me

to continue speaking. I said to myself, “Speaking what?

Is this supposed to be a language?” All that came out of

my mouth was noise—like somebody choking. I thought,

“If this is speaking in tongues, I surely wouldn’t want

anyone to hear me.” To myself, I sounded like an idiot. I

would be embarrassed for anyone to hear me making

these silly noises.

Meanwhile, Pastor Christenson was saying to me,

“That’s right; that’s right; you’ve got it; keep on

19

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

speaking.” I have to tell you the truth, it sounded

ridiculous to me. Tears were streaming down my face;

but they were not tears of joy but of frustration and

disappointment. I HAD FELT NOTHING BUT SILLY.

Yet, Pastor Christenson encouraged me by assuring me

that it was genuine. I was to keep right on speaking

and the language would become, by use, more fluent

and intelligible.

This is one objection I have with many of the books

written today concerning the experience of people

receiving the Holy Spirit. In most cases it seems that

the most dramatic experiences are the only ones

recorded. It leaves one with the expectation that every

one will experience this same beauty and fluency of

tongues upon receiving the Holy Spirit. But as Pastor

Christenson pointed out and I have since found out

myself, after personally laying on hands and praying

with many to receive the Holy Spirit, most do not get a

full and fluent release—at first.

Of course, this is no fault of the Holy Spirit because

He is perfect and all His gifts and manifestations are

equally perfect. But, we must always keep in mind that

the manifestations must come through imperfect

vessels. The knowledge that one possesses about what

to expect and the all important aspect of yieldedness

must be taken into account when evaluating a person’s

experience.

At this time, I thought that I was fully yielded. I

WAS READY, but not fully yielded, as you shall see.

Pastor Christenson told me that this was a legitimate

experience and to continue praying in the spirit, or

speaking in tongues, as it is generally termed. Well, I

wasn’t fully convinced that anything had happened,

other than the fact that I had sounded like an idiot.

20

The Holy Spirit

Remember too, I had felt nothing. I thought surely that

something this important and spiritual should be,

MUST BE attended by some very pronounced emotional

feelings and I was looking for them. But as the song so

aptly puts it, “It Ain’t Necessarily So.”

Driving back to Los Angeles, I was tormented with

the thought, “If this is not a genuine experience, where

do I go from here?” As I drove along, I tried to speak in

this new tongue, but only that agonizingly ridiculous

sound came out. It was night and dark outside, but it

was even darker within me.

The Beginning of the End

The week of Monday, February 23, was a week of

fear, frustration and deep questionings. I told the Lord

that if this was what it was all about—these ridiculous

sounds—I would continue to speak out even though I

sounded like an idiot. I certainly didn’t want my wife

and congregation to hear me, but I wanted the Holy

Spirit and if this was it, then I would just have to sound

like a fool. I told the Lord that if I sounded foolish, it

was all His fault because He never should have opened

my heart and eyes to the gift of the Holy Spirit in the

first place. As the week drew to a close, I thought surely

I would experience some kind of feeling or emotion. You

guessed it. NOTHING!

My spiritual mother, Betty’s Aunt Tena, had

mentioned that the little Episcopal Church that she had

been attending was to have a revival meeting during

this week. It had completely slipped my mind in the

midst of this spiritual search in which I was engaged. I

had almost lost contact with life itself. Jesus is

marvelous—the way He works all things together for

our good. Betty mentioned that she had talked to Tena

21

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

and the revival was going well. I thought to myself, “I’m

so tired, both physically and spiritually. I need to go

somewhere and be ministered to.” So I went. It was

Friday night of the week of February 23, and it was to

prove later to be the beginning of the end of my quest.

I arrived late and the service had already begun.

They were singing hymns when I walked in and took

my seat. They sang several more hymns, and indeed, it

was refreshing after the week through which I had just

come. There was a tall young man with a deep, rich and

powerful voice leading the singing. When the song

service was over, he went into his own personal

testimony concerning his Christian experience.

It was quite stirring, especially when he mentioned

the fact that he was Jewish. He told about his

conversion and some experiences surrounding it. Then

he said something that almost rocked me off my pew.

He related how empty and powerless his Christian life

had been until he came face to face with the gift of the

Holy Spirit.

At this point, I almost shouted with joy. I’m sure you

can understand my enthusiasm. He told of how

powerful and joyous his life was now because of his

transforming encounter with the Holy Spirit. He told of

the victory and peace he was experiencing in his every

day Christian walk. My excitement was almost

uncontrollable.

The thought occurred to me that this was the reason

the Lord led me here tonight. I felt certain that this

would be MY night. One thing troubled me as he

concluded his testimony. He never once mentioned

speaking in other tongues. As I said, this troubled me.

I could hardly wait for the service to end so that I

could ask him about the speaking in tongues as the sign

22

The Holy Spirit

and evidence of the infilling with the Holy Spirit. The

main speaker for the revival was Dr. Robert Frost,

author of Aglow With The Spirit7. (He plays a

prominent role in this story as you shall see.)

At the conclusion of the service, I made a straight

course for this young Jewish fellow. After talking to him

for a few minutes, I broached this question of speaking

with other tongues. He immediately and joyously

exclaimed his own glorious experience of this

manifestation, and of the joy and power in prayer and

boldness that accompanied it. I was thrilled at hearing

this and began relating my own experience—and

failure, so I thought—in receiving the Holy Spirit. As

we talked, another young man who had given his

testimony that night and Dr. Frost moved close and

joined us.

Everyone was moving into the fellowship hall,

directly behind the main sanctuary, for refreshments

and fellowship. As I continued speaking, Dr. Frost

chimed in with the joyous statement that he was sure

that I HAD INDEED RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT. I

say joyous statement because he had an expression on

his face like one who had just found hidden treasure.

He informed me that all I needed was what he termed,

“a full release.”

He suggested that the four of us go into the

sanctuary for prayer. He further suggested that the

three of them lay hands on me while we prayed for this

release. I knelt at the altar and they surrounded me.

Dr. Frost told me to just open my mouth and speak forth

the words that the Holy Spirit placed on my tongue. In

my heart I was saying, “Oh no! not that again.” As they

7 Frost, Dr. Robert, Aglow With The Spirit, Northridge, California, Voice

Publications.

23

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

laid hands on me and began praying in unknown

tongues, I was thrilled—it sounded so beautiful.

Picture this, if you will: three men praying in three

different unknown languages at the same time. You

would naturally tend to think this would be utter

confusion. But believe me when I tell you, it sounded

like water cascading over a waterfall. It was beautiful,

joyous and thrilling. I felt as though I were in the very

presence of God Himself.

Well, I opened my mouth, as I was instructed, and

guess what came out? That’s right! That same

ridiculous sound that ushered forth when Larry

Christenson had prayed for me. The most amazing

thing to me was to hear the three of them saying to me,

“That’s right; you’ve got it; it’s coming; keep it up;

praise God it’s coming through!”

This was a nightmare. Here I was, in all sincerity,

TRYING MY BEST TO RECEIVE something real and

genuine and all that came forth were these ridiculous

sounds. Tears were streaming down my face as I, with

great intensity and determination, was trying to pray in

these unknown tongues. I was completely crushed at

this point. When I arose from my knees, they embraced

me and with joy on their faces they praised the Lord

that I had come through.

We went back to the fellowship hall and everyone

was thrilled because I had come through. Aunt Tena

was there and she was full of love and joy. Everyone

was having a ball.

Meantime, I was torn up inside; I felt like a

hypocrite. Honestly, I had FELT NOTHING. I smiled

weakly and tried to play the part of the conquering

hero, but inside I was in a state of utter frustration.

24

The Holy Spirit

On the way home, I questioned within myself,

wondering what was happening to me. These people

had been sincere—I couldn’t deny that. And yet, I felt

empty and unfulfilled.

The Crowning Day, The River Begins to

Flow

Saturday, February 28, 1970 was to be an

unforgettable day in my life: a day that would

foreshadow a complete revolution in my ministry.

Praise be to God!

I slept late Saturday morning and actually had to

force myself out of bed. I felt terrible—frustrated,

discouraged. I went to the barber shop late that

afternoon for my regular hair cut. As I was leaving the

barber’s, the thought came to me to go over to Tena’s.

She had only encouraging words for me. She told me

about the wonderful service they had had that

afternoon and suggested that the two of us go together

to the final service that night. I didn’t feel much like

doing anything, but I consented.

The service that night was held in the fellowship

hall. There were about thirty of us there, sitting in a

semi-circle. We must have sung about twenty-five or

thirty songs and it was surely a blessing to me—

especially the way that I was feeling then.

Finally, Dr. Frost rose to give his closing message.

He announced that the Lord had laid it upon his heart

to talk about his own experience with the Holy Spirit—

at least some facets of it. He said that quite frankly he

had had a problem with “feelings.” He related how the

Lord took him step by step and revealed to him that it

wasn’t by FEELING that we receive the Holy Spirit, but

25

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

by FAITH and FAITH ALONE. A beautiful bright light

went on inside of me.

As he talked, the Lord revealed to me that there is

only one way to receive ANYTHING from God and that

is BY FAITH in what God has promised in His Word.

Praise God! Praise God! Praise God! Now I knew. My

problem was that I wanted to feel something BEFORE I

would be willing to accept what God, very plainly, says

in His Word is received by FAITH and FAITH ALONE.

The dark clouds began to roll back and the sky became

as clear as crystal. This was it. I HAD indeed

RECEIVED the gift of THE HOLY SPIRIT the very

FIRST TIME that I prayed and ASKED THE LORD TO

BAPTIZE ME, after reading those first books.

My problem was that I wouldn’t accept God’s gift on

God’s terms. I had my own mind made up as to how it

would happen and because of that I had missed the joy

and blessing. Well, it would appear that all was well

now, but alas, there was one more river to cross. And

praise His wonderful Name, the Lord was present to

cross it with me.

At the conclusion of the service, Dr. Frost inquired if

there were any that needed ministering to. Something

on the inside of me said, “Have them pray for you.”

That was the Holy Spirit. Immediately satan spoke up,

and these thoughts crossed my mind: “I can’t have

anyone pray for me after last night. I would be

repudiating everything that happened last night. And

too, I am a minister of the Gospel and I should be

praying for others instead of them praying for me.” No

one responded to the offer of ministry, so Dr. Frost

turned the service over to the minister of the church.

Again, he asked if anyone needed to be ministered to.

Again the voice on the inside said, “Have them pray for

26

The Holy Spirit

you.” Again satan spoke up: “You’ll look like a fool

asking them to pray for you. What kind of a minister

will they think you are.” By now we had joined hands

and formed a circle to dismiss.

The minister was praying the closing prayer.

Desperation rose up within me. I knew that this was it.

It’s now or never. As the amen was spoken and we had

just loosed our hands, I fell to my knees in the center of

the circle. I poured out my heart with tears. I told of my

conflict over feelings, my misery, my desire to be free.

The group moved in and I felt many hands on my

head and many voices raised in prayer on my behalf. I

opened my mouth and began to speak and that

mighty river began to flow. Torrents of unknown

words poured out of my mouth. IN FAITH I had spoken

and the Holy Spirit gave me the utterance—just as He

had given nineteen hundred years ago on the day of

Pentecost.

It’s real, my friends, it’s real! Praise God, it’s real! I

could hardly believe it. Here I was, speaking in

unknown tongues just as Peter, James and John had

done so many centuries before. I was thrilled. I was

filled with peace and joy and a dynamic sense of power

—the power of God, Himself. I had at last entered the

realm of the Spirit. From this glorious day forward, I

would walk by faith and not by sight.

Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory

Time has come and gone since that crossing of the

Jordan into the promised land, February 28, 1970. My

whole life has changed. My ministry has been anointed

by the Spirit. The joy and victory in prayer is

unsurpassed. I’m still on cloud one hundred and still

27

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

climbing. Can you believe that? Praise God!

Our congregation has been transformed. The

consecration and dedication of many since they have

received the fullness of the Spirit has been a joy to

behold. The spiritual fiber and enthusiasm of the Body

of Believers are at a fervent peak. Their outreach into

the community has been spectacular.

On November 26, 1973, we moved into a new facility

—Crenshaw Christian Center. In July of 1977, because

of the vast increase in the number of people coming to

the Center, we had to go to two morning worship

services. We are regularly putting, at each service,

about 1,300 people in our auditorium plus several

hundred people in our gym building where we have

closed circuit television. In our three Sunday services

we are ministering to over 3,000 people per Sunday.

Praise God! Our membership is over 2,600.

Our worship services are tremendous! We teach the

Word. On a regular basis, as part of the service as the

Lord directs, we have the vocal ministry gifts in

operation—prophecy, divers kinds of tongues with

interpretation of tongues. We have people healed while

they’re sitting in the audience. We’ve seen miracles.

We actually have people standing in line—arriving

an hour early to stand in line so that they can get in. Of

course, it’s the Lord that sends the people. We preach

the Word; He sends the people.

Dear Reader

May I say to you, dear reader, that if there is a

longing for a deeper and closer walk with the Lord, a

desire to really see the power of God manifested in

these times and to experience that perfect joy and

28

The Holy Spirit

peace, may I point you to HIM who baptizes with the

Holy Spirit. You too can receive the power that makes it

possible to pray without ceasing; to overcome every

temptation and cast off every vile and wicked habit that

you have striven with tears to shed with no success.

Believe me, you need the power of the Holy Spirit

manifested in your everyday walk so that you can live

the victorious life.

Cast aside your doubts' and all your preconceived

ideas about the gift of the Holy Spirit and the speaking

with other tongues. Satan has very cleverly blinded

many in regard to these great issues. Many have

rejected the blessings that God desires to pour out upon

all His children because some noted theologian declares

that these manifestations only happened in the early

Church; that we don’t need signs and miracles and the

manifestation of the power and might of the Spirit of

God today.

Surely if for a moment, you look around you, the

evidence is overwhelming—we need something. Look in

the churches—we need something. We need the power of

the Holy Spirit.

You may need something in your own personal

Christian life. If you have not yet experienced the

enabling power of the Holy Spirit, receive Him today.

Jesus is waiting and eager to immerse you in the Holy

Spirit, that the rivers of living water that John tells us

about in the Gospel (John 7:38, 39) may begin to flow

out of your life. Jesus is waiting! Don’t be led astray by

anyone. Search the Scriptures—what I have told you is

TRUTH. And the TRUTH will set you free.

Our authority is the Word of God, 2 Timothy 3:16,

17. Read God’s Word with a heart ready to receive His

revealed truth concerning the baptism with the Holy

29

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

Spirit and speaking with other tongues. May I further

suggest that you specifically read the book of Acts and I

Corinthians, chapters 12, 13, 14. I know that the Lord

will reveal Himself and His truth to you in this most

important matter, as He has to me.

The following are some tips that will help you to

receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when you are

ready:

POINT 1: The first point which is absolutely

essential as you prepare to receive the gift of the Holy

Spirit is that you must have accepted Jesus Christ as

your personal Lord and Saviour. John 7:38-39 informs

us that the promise of the Holy Spirit is made only to

believers. By no means should anyone who is not a

believer pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit. However, if

you are a believer and are assured of your salvation,

then you are ready and should enter into this deeper

spiritual dimension. The following are some Scriptures

you may check to be sure of your salvation:

John 1:12

John 5:24

Ephesians 2:8-9

John 3:3, 5

John 6:47

Acts 16:31

John 3:16, 18, 36 John 20:31

If you have checked these Scriptures and say, “I

don’t know if that’s me or not; I’m not sure,” or “No, I

know that’s not me. I’ve never RECEIVED Jesus,” it

can be you and YOU CAN BE SURE! Today is the day

of salvation! Turn with me to Romans the tenth chapter

and we’re going to read verses 9 and 10:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord

Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath

raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For

30

The Holy Spirit

with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and

with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Do you believe that God raised Jesus Christ from

the dead? Will you confess Jesus as the Lord of your

life? If you have answered these two questions “yes,”

then just pray the following simple prayer and become a

member of the family of God:

Jesus, I need to be born again. I need a savior; I need

You. I turn from sin and turn to You. I believe in my

heart that God raised You from the dead and I ask You

now to come into my heart and be the Lord of my life. I

receive You now as Lord of my life and I confess with my

mouth, Jesus is my Lord. Thank You, Jesus.

Romans 10:13 says that “For whosoever shall call

upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” You have

called upon the name of the Lord; salvation is yours,

NOW. The Scriptures listed under Point 1 now apply to

you—confess them as yours.

You are now ready for Point 2.

POINT 2: Keep in mind that the Bible teaches us

that the Holy Spirit is given freely by grace, to help and

enable us to move on into the deeper areas of our

Christian experience, and to achieve victory in our daily

witness for Christ. Remember too, that this gift of the

Holy Spirit is not given as an attainment or reward,

based on some supposed degree of holiness, but based

alone on the fact that Jesus promised to give Him to

every believer. Following are some Scriptures you may

want to check:

John 7:38-39

John 14:25-26

John 16:12-14

John 14:16-17

John 15:16

John 16:7

31

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

POINT 3: When receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit,

it helps to be with a group of Spirit-filled Christians

who can instruct, encourage and pray with you.

Although it is not essential, I personally find it to be a

great help for two specific reasons.

First, because it is Scriptural: Acts 8:17, 9:17 and

19:6 show us how others may help us by the laying on of

hands as a point of faith release.

Second, because satan will immediately challenge

the believer as to the authenticity of his experience. It’s

good to have the witness of Christians who can affirm

the authenticity of the experience.

POINT 4: If one is a sincere seeker after the truth

concerning receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and has

read all the Scriptures suggested, he will see beyond

any doubt that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is

meant for every believer today. Suggested reading:

The book of Acts

I Corinthians, chapters 12, 13, 14

Joel 2:28-29

John 1:33

John 15:16

Matthew 3:11

Mark 16:17

John 16:7, 12-14

Luke 3:16

Luke 11:9-13

Acts 1:4-8

Mark 1:8

Luke 24:49

Acts 2:4, 38-39

John 14:16-17

John 7:38-39

John 14:25-26

POINT 5: Now that you are ready to receive, simply

pray the prayer of invitation—inviting Jesus, the

Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, to baptize you with the

Spirit. Suggested prayer:

Father, I believe with all my heart, based on the

Scriptures, that the gift of the Holy Spirit is meant for

me. Just as I trust You for my eternal salvation by faith,

32

The Holy Spirit

so now do I trust You, by faith, to give me the fullness of

the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking with other

tongues. I now receive, by faith, the gift of the Holy

Spirit within. Thank You, in Jesus’ name, amen.

POINT 6: Now release the Spirit by praising the

Lord in unknown tongues, BY FAITH. as the Spirit

gives the utterance or language. Remember the Holy

Spirit doesn’t do the speaking, you do! This is what

happened to the disciples on the day of Pentecost. Why

should the Lord deal any differently with you? He is no

respecter of persons or denominations. BY FAITH, open

your mouth and yield your tongue to the Holy Spirit.

Trust Him to give you a language of praise. Initiate

syllables with your tongue and lips. Remember that

even when you attempt to speak in your own familiar

language, unless you open your mouth, give the sound

of your voice, move your tongue and lips, nothing comes

out, does it? Often unfamiliar words will flash into your

mind.

Speak them out in praise to the Lord. The more

yielded and believing you become, the more fluent and

free the language will become.

If at first your language does not “flow” do not

become discouraged or doubt that you received the gift

of the Holy Spirit. The devil may suggest to you that

you are making it all up; don’t listen to him. Remember,

he is a liar and the father of lies.

Be obedient to the Lord and keep praying and

singing in the spirit. Continue to praise God for filling

you as He promised. Continue stepping out in faith, by

yielding your voice to the Lord. He will surely give you

the fulfillment of the desire of your heart. If at all

possible, seek other Spirit-filled believers with whom

you can fellowship and pray in the Spirit. Continue to

33

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

exercise your gift, daily.

If you would claim your rightful New Testament

inheritance in Christ, begin by receiving the Holy Spirit

with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.

REMEMBER, THIS IS NOT AN END, it is just the

beginning; it ushers you through a spiritual doorway

into the supernatural realm of spiritual blessing.

Potentially you have become a powerful and

effective witness for Jesus Christ, so don’t let the devil

rob you of God’s best. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the

author and finisher of our faith; hold fast to the Word of

God which abides forever and soon you will be firmly

grounded in this new life in the Spirit.

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

34

For a complete list of tapes and books

by Fred Price, or to receive his publication,

Ever Increasing Faith Messenger,

write:

Fred Price

Crenshaw Christian Center

P. 0. Box 90000

Los Angeles, CA 90009

Feel free to include your prayer requests

and comments when you write.

Books by Fred Price

HIGH FINANCE

God's Financial Plan

Tithes and Offerings

Now Faith Is

How Faith Works

(also available in Spanish)

Is Healing For All?

How to Obtain Strong Faith Six Principles

The Holy Spirit—The Missing Ingredient

Faith, Foolishness, or Presumption?

Thank God For Everything?

Available at your local bookstore.

Harrison House

P. O. Box 35035 • Tulsa, OK 74153

Document Outline

- The Holy Spirit - The Missing Ingredient

- Preface

- 1 The Holy Spirit

- The Missing Link

- Seek And Ye Shall Find

- In His Presence

- The Word of the Lord

- A Friend Speaks

- Light and Darkness

- Hope Arises

- Crushed Again

- The Beginning of the End

- The Crowning Day, The River Begins to Flow

- Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory

- Dear Reader

- The following are some tips that will help you to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when you are ready:

Table of Contents

s1

n2.

e3,

e6

t7.

The Holy Spirit - The Missing Ingredient

Preface

In His Presence

The Word of the Lord

A Friend Speaks

Hope Arises

Crushed Again

The Beginning of the End

The Crowning Day, The River Begins to Flow

Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory

Dear Reader

The following are some tips that will help you to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when you are r