I’d Like to Prophesy, But… (Part II – 2)

This is a continuation of the nine-part series,  I’d Like to Prophesy, But…

Click on the following link for an earlier article: Part II-1.

“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46)

To know what Jesus is  saying to us today, we need to better understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit because prophecy and Jesus’ words come to us mainly through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

And knowing that God does not change and Jesus does not change, we can therefore assume that the Holy Spirit does not change also. Okay?

Thus, we can look at the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, to learn about the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon him [Otheniel] and he judged Israel… (Judges 3:10)

So the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet… (Judges 6:34)

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him [Samson] mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of them… (Judges 14: 19)

Throughout the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon people, especially prophets, kings and priests, and anointed them with authority and power to carry out the plans of the Lord.

In much the same way, the Holy Spirit comes upon people in the New Testament:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord. (Luke 4: 18 – 19)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses… (Acts 1: 8)

Yes,  the Holy Spirit is now an indwelling Spirit for us New Testament believers as compared to the Old Testament’s believers. But what we now call the anointing for a teacher, preacher or minister, the  Old Testament simply stated as “came upon him.”

As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. (1 John 2: 27)

But even more than the anointing, the Holy Spirit’s ministry has been focused on one important point in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

(Continued in Part II – 3)