The HOLY SPIRIT Can Change YOUR Life

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; Luke 4:18 (NKJV) 

Jesus grew up in Nazareth as an apparently ordinary Jewish boy. He was filled with the Holy Spirit from His mother’s womb but the Holy Spirit did not come upon Him and rest upon Him until He was baptised in the River Jordan.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Mark 1:9-11 (NKJV) 

This was the anointing of Jesus for the preaching ministry and this is what He was telling the people of His hometown in Nazareth. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit on Jesus made Him different, empowered and commissioned by the Father to change lives in a way the Nazarenes had not seen before Jesus became a preacher. 
This was not just to identify Jesus as the unique Son of God but also to set an example for us all to follow.

And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' John 1:32-33 (NKJV) 

When you trust in Jesus and you are born again, the Holy Spirit comes to make His home in you, just as He did in Jesus from before His birth. But when Jesus baptizes you in the Holy Spirit, His Spirit comes upon you and changes you for a purpose, to reach out and change lives around you with the power of God and the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.  And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. Acts 2:17-18 (NKJV)

Are the Charismatic Gifts of the Holy Spirit necessary for salvation? Yes and no. You can be saved without speaking in tongues but gifts like healing and prophecy can be the evidence which convinces many others of the reality of God and lead them to salvation.

If we use the divine gifts with a heart of love, we can continue the mission of Jesus which He described in these words.

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;