"Holy Ghost, You and I will Change the World"

Understanding the work of the Holy Spirit through us to the people around us.

At my university, God has strengthened a group of students (so far, we're all Africans, but God is bringing more students) to pray every weekend around midnight. As we were praying, the lyrics of the song playing said the title of this entry; "Holy Ghost, you and I will change the world." What powerful songwriting!

Jonah & Nineveh

The story of Jonah very simply goes thus: In chapter 1, God saw that the city of Nineveh was deep in their wicked ways and commanded Jonah, His prophet, to go and declare judgment against them that they may repent and change their ways. Knowing that God would forgive the people, Jonah tried to run from God's presence and to Tarshish, the most remote city in the region (like that was ever going to work). God then caused the storm to rage against the ship Jonah tried to escape in, and to save them, Jonah told the sailors to throw him overboard, where he was then swallowed by a fish and stayed in its belly for three days and three nights.

In chapter 2, Jonah cries out to God in repentance, and God, in His mercy, instructs the fish to spit Jonah out on dry land.

Jonah 2 vs 7 (AMP)

When my soul was fainting within me, I remembered the Lord, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple

In chapter 3, very profound things happen. First, God instructs Jonah a second time to proclaim His judgment to Nineveh. Scripture says, "in accordance with the word of the Lord" (Jonah 3:2). Scripture then explains just how big Nineveh was. It says, "Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days' walk [about sixty miles in circumference]" (Jonah 3:3). Through bible scholars, it has been found that the city had a population of about 120,000 people.

Now the rest of the chapter goes:

Jonah 3 vs 4-10 (AMP)

4Then on the first day’s walk, Jonah [b]began to go through the city, and he called out and said, “Forty days more [remain] and [then] Nineveh will be overthrown!”

5 The people of Nineveh believed and trusted in God; and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth [in penitent mourning], from the greatest even to the least of them.

6 When word reached the king of Nineveh [of Jonah’s message from God], he rose from his throne, took off his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in the dust [in repentance].

7 He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles: No man, animal, herd, or flock is to taste anything. They are not to eat or drink water.

8 But both man and animal must be covered with sackcloth; and every one is to call on God earnestly and forcefully that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence that is in his hands.

9 Who knows, God may turn [in compassion] and relent and withdraw His burning anger (judgment) so that we will not perish.”

10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God [had compassion and] relented concerning the disaster which He had declared that He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

120,000 Converted hearts

This passage is one I have known by heart since I was a child, but the Holy Spirit really opened my heart to understand the magnitude of what we just read. You see Jonah, one man obediently proclaiming the instruction God mandated him, allowed God to bring 120,000 men, women, and children to repentance. Let that sink in for a moment. It says they "believed and trusted in God and... turned from their wicked ways" (Jonah 3:5,10). The Holy Spirit so convicted their hearts by the words Jonah spoke.

I was praying generally for my university when the Holy Spirit showed this to me. By the words He gives us to proclaim, an entire town like the one I currently reside in can come to know the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, believe and trust in Him, and turn from their wicked ways. More than anything, it is possible. It was not Jonah's job to convert anyone in the city; he was simply responsible for speaking "in accordance with the word of the Lord."

I used to fear that God would have me stand in front of the airplane and shout the salvation message. I thrived in one-on-one interactions, and that part of evangelism scared me. As I submitted my fears to the Lord, I gradually overcame that anxious feeling and understood that everyone would be instructed differently. For some, that may be your mandate to speak boldly amidst strangers. For others, it would be to interact with that friend who does not yet know Christ. However, the Holy Spirit decides we should proceed, and the most important thing is our obedience, that whatever we do is "in accordance with the word of the Lord."

So What?

Wherever we find ourselves, there is a word for your street, for your estate, for your region, for your city. Just imagine how life would be in a community where every single individual has experiential knowledge and reverence of the living Christ... a community where everyone is being transformed daily to become Christ-like? How amazing will that be? I'm writing to tell you it is more than possible!

I leave you with the lyrics of the song, Holy Ghost by Apostle Emmanuel Iren ft. Sinach:

Holy Ghost

Light within my soul

Holy Ghost

Fire in my bones

Holy Ghost

Power in my life

Holy Ghost

You and I will change the world.

Keep in Touch!

If the Holy Spirit taught you something, please comment so we can all benefit.

God bless you. Jesus loves you!

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