EVERYONE INCLUDED

Joel 2:28 – And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.

It’s funny how Christians are labeled as those who exclude others by the worldly minded yet the opposite is actually true, specifically when you are dealing with the charismatic/pentecostal branch of the Christian world. You have historical examples of women being powerfully used by the Lord in Aimee Semple McPherson and Kathryn Kuhlman. Then there was the very poor and minorities represented in William Seymour who pioneered the Pentecostal movement at Azusa Street in Los Angeles. This passage displays the effect of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all kinds of people; men and women, young and old, and every ethnic group are all included in the outpouring and effect of the Spirit. Here is how the Spirit Filled Life Bible Notes describe this.

“All flesh refers to every category of person, not every individual. The three categories that are most significant within any culture—gender, age, and class—are to be irrelevant among God’s Spirit-filled people. Whatever Spirit-anointed ministry is available to sons is equally available to daughters. Whether foretelling or forth-telling, throughout Scripture prophecy involves speaking for God. It is obviously vocal, is extremely authoritative, and is typically exercised in public and directed to the entire assembly. If this ministry is open to daughters, it is difficult to rightfully withhold any ministry from them. Dreams and visions were the common ways in which prophecy came in OT times. Menservants . . . maidservants are the slaves. This was absolutely unprecedented.”

I love this about the practical effect the Holy Spirit has on all kinds of people. Many take two passages of scripture to disallow women from preaching and teaching. These passages are dealing with specific issues in the churches. Looking at the overall picture of the New Testament women played quite a role in ministry. Prophesying, public speaking under the anointing, is described by women in Acts 2 and 1 Cor.11. Women have historically played major roles in advancing the kingdom, especially in times of outpouring. As a young Christian I would take my lunch break everyday at a certain time so I could rush to my car and listen to Kathryn Kuhlman on the radio. She started each program with her famous line, “Have you been waiting for me?” I waited every day for Miss Kuhlman, her ministry gave me a hunger for the supernatural that has stayed with me for almost fifty years.