God’s Ultimate Desire
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” Joel 2:28, 29
God is eager to pour out His Spirit on anyone who accepts His invitation, enabling them to have a unique, one-on-one relationship with Him. God desires to abide in us so closely that His thoughts become our thoughts, His love becomes our love, and His holiness becomes our holiness. This invitation includes everyone—men and women of every nation, language, and race.
When people accept this invitation, they become children of God and grow into mature spiritual adults who can understand His purposes, precepts, and principles. This knowledge continues to expand until God’s voice becomes as familiar to them as their own mother’s voice. Gradually, their character aligns with God’s ultimate desire, preparing them to become His prophets.
Don’t let the term “prophet” intimidate you. In the Bible, prophets were individuals who listened to God, obeyed His commands, and shared His revelations with others. God communicates with everyone on Earth; however, He has chosen various individuals throughout the Scriptures to represent Him. The key difference between prophets and others is that prophets actively listened to God and organized their lives according to His principles. They are honored in the Bible for fulfilling His will.
For instance, God instructed Moses to choose 70 men to help share the burdens of leading the Israelites, giving him some relief from the challenges he faced. These seventy men were to gather at the tabernacle the next day, but two of them did not arrive. Nevertheless, when God placed His Spirit upon the seventy men, the Holy Spirit filled them, too. At this moment, Joshua exclaimed, “My lord Moses, forbid them!” (Numbers 11:28)
Moses responded, “Are you envious for my sake? Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29). Moses declared that all of God’s people, both men and women, could be prophets and be filled with His Spirit. In the church, God has established no other office that promotes such gender equality.
Several examples show that God accepts women as prophets. These include Miriam, Moses’ sister (Exodus 15:20); Deborah, who fought alongside Barak (Judges 4:9); and the four daughters of Philip mentioned in the New Testament (Acts 21:8-9), to name just a few.
During the times of Elijah and Elisha, references to “the sons of the prophets” appear in 2 Kings 2:3, 5, 7, 15, and 4:1, 38. These men were recognized as prophets because they knew that Elijah would be taken from them that day, indicating their close relationship with God. Without God’s communication to them, they would not have known this.
Understanding that God desires His believers to embody His characteristics, as the prophets did, sets a standard for all of us to follow. Further reinforcing this concept is that the three individuals God took to heaven—Enoch, Moses, and Elijah—were all prophets. God will bring to heaven those who obey and believe as these men did.
God continues to seek individuals willing to stand up and be His prophets. We are living in the last days, and time will soon come to an end. Who will accept the invitation to live for God in a way that fulfills His ultimate desire? Come and be a prophet for God. Anyone can make this choice. As Proverbs 23:7a says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” When you believe you are a prophet for God, He can work in your life and accomplish His ultimate desire to have the most incredible relationship you could ever imagine.
The Glorious Glittering Galaxy
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” Colossians 1:16
I imagine a day in heaven when my friends and I get together to travel through the universe, maybe in the Milky Way Galaxy, and as we travel, we see a glowing, glittering spot that attracts our attention. The shining mass resembles a moving prism or a kaleidoscope, only thousands of times brighter and more glorious, as we watch the colors continuously change and form different patterns throughout the nearby cosmos.
Out of curiosity, we decide to go closer to see what is making such a beautiful sight in the middle of nowhere. As we approach, we see a complete galaxy beyond the Milky Way, moving in its course, creating the beautiful patterns that caught our attention.
We see movement on a nearby planet and descend to meet its inhabitants. They are happy to see us and invite us to stay and have a meal with them. Time quickly flies by, and three days later, we realize it is time to go back to Earth to worship on the Sabbath. Our new friends accompany us to worship God. The prophecy stated that all flesh, or all life, will worship God in the heavens and the Earth made new. “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 66:23) After the Sabbath, we say goodbye to our new friends as they leave to go home. We promise to see them again.
Jesus loves beautiful colors, and “all things were created by him”(Colossians 1:16b), and for his and our enjoyment. I know there are wonders to behold that we cannot imagine or grasp with our minds, but I want to contemplate the possibilities waiting for us throughout eternity.
All heaven is on your side. Jesus said, “For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.” (John 16:27) Since God loves His children, that means He is on your side. Jesus also said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) And that is exactly what He did to demonstrate His love. Angels excelling in strength guard and protect God’s children. “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” (Psalms 34:7) All heaven is waiting, watching, and working for you. Won’t you be a child of God and come too?