In Acts 2:17(NLT), the Apostle Peter was moved by the Holy Spirit to repeat the words of Joel, the prophet. He spoke these words to the crowd that had gathered around the disciples because something miraculous had happened to them. This verse states, “In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.” People have mistakenly assumed that the last days means some point way in the future that none of us know. In truth, everyone that has ever lived and is living after the ascension of Christ is living in the last days. This is the period that Joel spoke about, and he prophesied this to Judah, some believe, over 900 years before Christ was born. The fruition of this promise made by Heavenly Father is the miracle that caused the large crowd to stir and gather around the disciples.
The disciples obeyed the instructions of Jesus Christ and tarried for the Holy Spirit in the upper room of a place where they waited together. They manifested the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit by speaking in tongues. Acts 2:3-4(NLT) tells us, “3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” The evidence of speaking in tongues was external proof of their new internal reality. Something miraculous had occurred, and where Peter had been afraid hours before, he now spoke with boldness, and it was because of manifesting the power of the Holy Spirit. We should all desire this as believers and followers of Christ.
There are many Christians that do not believe that speaking in tongues is necessary for their walk in Christ, or that it is even available in the age we’re living in. They may feel this way about all nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit, but the spiritual reality of the gift of Holy Spirit is too vital to leave it to personal interpretation, speculation, hearsay, or guesswork. Our relationship with God must be built and maintained upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ, and we can’t do it our way. It has to be done God’s way. Christ could not have come to the earth as a man without the Holy Spirit impregnating Mary’s womb with God’s seed. Jesus Christ is our example, and he needed the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s purpose, so do we.
In Romans 12:1, God asks us to present the totality of our being to Him because this is the very least we can do for all that He has done for us. He tells us to let our bodies be a living and holy sacrifice that He will find acceptable. This is the spiritual worship He requires. It’s not done on our terms. We don’t get to put our spin on it. It must be done God’s way. He desires a relationship with us, and He desires it in a very intense way. We can’t meet the standard without the Spirit’s help, and the best way for the Spirit to help us is by living on the inside of us. This way, he sees the real us—where our weaknesses are and where we need the most help.
In and of ourselves, you and I will not hunger and thirst after God’s righteousness. We forget how to crave intimacy with Him, but He saw to it that we were born with something in us that He will draw to Himself. Jesus Christ said in John 6:44(NLT), “For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.” We are chosen! We are handpicked to be God’s sons and daughters. Like any parent, Heavenly Father has expectations, and to meet them you and I must constantly evolve in Christ. We cannot be the same people we were even two months ago. Our relationship with God must grow in intimacy as our minds and hearts grow more in line with the person of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:27(NLT) tells us, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.” This is our responsibility as believers, and it is arrogant of us to think that we can do it without walking in the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells us. Jesus Christ is the only way to our Heavenly Father, and he guides us through the Holy Spirit. He tells us this in John 16:13. It is the Spirit who guides us into the intimate places of God’s heart.
Ephesians 6:18(NLT) tells us to “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Praying in the Spirit is speaking in tongues. Romans 8:26 tells us that the Spirit helps our weakness. We don’t know all the details of a situation. We don’t the internal pain of others we care about, and we scarcely know the depth of our own, but we have a duty to pray about these things. The Spirit will takeover our prayers and fill-in the gaps that we’ve missed. Through us, he prays with groanings that can’t be expressed in words. The Spirit prays perfectly! If we will rise to the level of gratitude we should have for such a gift as this, God is happy to pour out His Spirit on us, all we need to do is ask.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Building A Lifestyle of Intimacy with God: Part 1-Drawn to God” written by JMack, 4theChristianMan.com© 2019. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.