Evangelism Part 7: The Spirit Series
Evangelism Part 7: The Spirit – God will pour His Spirit on all people.
We know that God’s Spirit is with His chosen ones, such as the Prophets, Kings, and Priests; he chose them to do separate works and to communicate with the people the word of His wholeness and love. Prophets speak on behalf of God as they are the mouth of God. Kings needed to be set apart as God’s sovereign ruler, while the Priests were set to be holy and would take care of the holy convocation. God set up all these things according to His plan and good pleasure.
Not all prophets are anointed by God but by someone or a self-made prophet. God chose the prophets to receive the presence of His Spirit.
Many people say that God of the Old Testament is full of anger and wrath and that God was a violent God without fear and that God may come after them for that accusation. God, first of all, is good, and His goodness is immeasurable because God’s love is always misinterpreted as hate. Second, God cares for everyone on this planet and wants us to recognize that and acknowledge His presence in His creations. Still, instead, we continually destroy the beauty of His creation. If you were in God’s place, would you not be mad that instead of living side by side with His creations, we choose to abuse them until their destruction?
“They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.”— Zechariah 7:12.
God will not just send His judgment without warning, like during the time of the prophet Jonah when the citizens of Nineveh were already on the brink of destruction due to vices and sins. God sent Prophet Jonah to deliver His word of salvation, and Nineveh listened and obeyed. The capital city of the Assyrians was then spared by God’s compassion with children who also brought salvation to the old. Nineveh lived a godly life for forty years until they returned to their wickedness. The Assyrian capital city of Nineveh was attacked and destroyed by the coalition led by Babylonians (Iraq) and the Medes (Iran) during the time of Prophet Nahum.
We can reference Habakkuk 1:6 to know how God sometimes used people to carry judgment; “I am raising the Babylonians, those ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own.”
Jewish people are chosen, and we cannot argue that statement. Although many modern religious people say it was before then, and not now, this opinion does not get much attention. When the interpretations of the scriptures are widely accepted, and there is no other interpretation to consider, the rule of thumb can be applied and should not be doubted. Israelites and Muslims have the gift of discernment and can identify an anointed person, while Christians claim to receive the Spirit of discernment, which is more spiritual.
The Spirit of the anointed prophets before spoke the word of God within the present situation, within the region, like during the prophet Isaiah where his prophecies were within the Israel region and not worldwide. The prophets are tested by what they prophesied and mostly failed because it seemed to be a made-up prophecy. Jesus Christ is the last prophet, high priest, king, and no one else after him.
We must make it clear that the Bible is the standard by which all teachings and experiences must be tested. Many will prophesy and perform miracles, but the Spirit of discernment will guide us through it. “
God established earthly consequences of punishment for anyone who disobeyed His commandment and gave blessings to those who were obedient to His will. God established eternal life for everyone who would obey the coming prophet, and this message is directly addressed to His chosen people, the Israelites.
“I will raise for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.”—Deuteronomy 18” 18-19.
For Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise for you a prophet like me from among your people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.”— Acts 3:22–23
To clear confusion about who this prophet is, “the first will be the last, and the last will be the first” the last prophet with whom we have to listen and obey God Himself announced it on the Mount of Transfiguration: “This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.”— Luke 9:35.
The Spirit of God as it is written: “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD, and He will delight in fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:2–3 (NASB)
“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.” Acts 2:17(Berean Study Bible)
God is all in all