“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”     Acts 2:1-4 NKJV

This principle refers not to something Jesus said directly but rather something that He did. Both His life and ministry were rock-solid demonstrations of the reality of the Holy Spirit. He was miraculously conceived by the Spirit’s power to demonstrate God’s overwhelming love for mankind. Though He was God Himself in human form, His ministry was a secondary demonstration of how man is to live under the influence and direction of the Holy Spirit. After His baptism, where the Spirit descended upon Him and separated Him to his work, Jesus immediately followed the Spirit and did not do or say anything from that point forward without first receiving direction from God the Father!

We have the Lord’s complete life as an example of our need to allow the Holy Spirit to demonstrate the goodness and power of God. In Acts 10:38, Peter reminds the first Gentiles he preached the Gospel to of, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Then in verse 44, the Bible records that while Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard these words. Cornelius’ family members were all filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues in Caesarea, exactly as the disciples had in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. Once Jesus’ followers have the Holy Spirit in and upon them, God uses them as spiritual demonstrators wherever they go under His direction!

Christianity was never meant to be a philosophy or doctrine, but a living illustration of the reality of the Gospel message. As believers, we have a responsibility to carry something more than testimonies and sermons. With the view of the last days on our horizon, more than ever we need to be empowered to lead people into dramatic and dynamic encounters with the Lord…before the last great “act” plays out with His soon return!