We must remember what happened at Pentecost.  It changed His disciples, giving them power, purpose and direction.  From that point on they were completely different people. Have we had a similar experience and if not, have we wondered why?

I have noticed a difference between someone who has had a very sinful background vs. a person having been a Christian most of their life.  Most often in the one there is a tremendous change and in the other, hardly any change at all.  Then there are some, having had a very sinful background, which has made little, if any, change at all.  They seem to fail the test of obedience.  It may be possible that once becoming Christians they just cannot give up and surrender their self-centered nature.  They are unwilling to yield control to anyone, including the Holy Spirit.  Do you think that the Apostle Paul who considered himself the worst of sinners could have made the drastic change, on his own, without surrendering to the Holy Spirit?  Therefore, is there any reason for not having a complete change by allowing our self-centered nature surrendered to the control of the Holy Spirit so we can become obedient to God’s will?

In Chapter Two of Acts it tells what happened at Pentecost.  A number gathered to see what was happening because the apostles were speaking in languages that foreigners could understand.  Peter stood and told them in Acts 2:17 – 18 – “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.   Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”  When the Holy Spirit was poured out on you did you prophesize, see visions or have dreams and were able to foresee the future?  Most of us didn’t!

What is it that God wants from each one of us as Christians?  He is looking for a body of believers that will live with Him through eternity.  What are two requirements to enter that final destiny?  The answer is love and obedience through our relationship with Christ.  He wants our unconditional love toward Him and the same love to others.  Can you visualize living in an eternity where everyone had that kind of love for God and for others?  How do we obtain that kind of love?  It will only come through the Holy Spirit’s help.  He also wants those of us willing to be obedient.  The reason we are living in a cursed world today is because Adam and Eve were disobedient and ate from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil.

The Bible repeatedly says God is not interested in our works but He cares about what is in our hearts.  Is His love really in our hearts?  If so, we have learned there can be no hate or a lack of forgiveness.  What God requires can only be obtained by allowing the Holy Spirit to change who we are.  This is why we cannot allow the Holy Spirit to be ignored.  We must let the Holy Spirit become very active in our daily lives.  If we are not seeing supernatural occurrences from time to time we probably have not made the Holy Spirit our partner.  So shouldn’t we expect the Holy Spirit to be manifest in everything we do?  He will if we pray and ask for His help. He will not force Himself onto us.

I heard a story that a lady was driving up a mountain and an inner spirit told her to pull over and stop.  She did and a car came around the curve ahead going rapidly in her lane.  Had she not pulled over she could have been killed.  I asked others if they ever had a time when an inner voice told them to do something that may have saved their lives.  One told me that he was going 70 mph on the interstate and a car came across the road into his lane and hit him.  It caused him to hit six cars.  It totally demolished his car.  When he was being hit he said something pushed him into his seat as if he had a special seat belt on.  This was before seatbelts were common in cars.  He came to a stop and shortly a policeman came to his car and couldn’t believe he was still alive.  Yet, he had no injuries or bruises.  In both instances they believed it was Divine intervention that they are alive today.

I met with my small group and shared these two stories with them.  I then told them of a time I pulled up to a red light and waited for it to change.  I started to pull out when it turned green and that inner voice said stop.  About that time a red pickup traveling at least 50 mph went through the red light.  I thanked God and it made me more careful and now I look both ways before moving.

I then asked the men in my Bible group if they ever had a Divine intervention and was surprised at the stories I heard.  One told about his struggle with the devil who was refusing to let him ask Christ for salvation.  Another told of a time he had his gun pointed at a person ready to pull the trigger when he felt a strong urge to stop.  He told of many experiences with evil.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, he turned his life around and he went on to become a Christian attorney.

I have heard hundreds of such stories over the years.  The most unusual came from missionaries returning from foreign countries.  Isn’t it possible God allows situations to occur so that we can realize His Spirit is within us to make changes and Divine intervention confirms that He is with us?  We must continually realize that the Holy Spirit is with us to change us to having the mind of Christ.  Our job is to allow Him to do so.  He will not do it without our permission and help.

Philippians 2:5 – 8 – “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.   Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.   Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.  When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”