“He’ll drink neither wine nor beer. He’ll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother’s womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God’s arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened sceptics—he’ll get the people ready for God.”

In the early days of our church planting initiative in Boston Spa, I was invited to speak to a group of older people about the work we were involved in. One man I knew well came up to me after I’d spoken, fixed me with a steady gaze, and said, ‘What you need over there are ‘soul-winners.’ I instinctively knew he was right. Thank God, there came a time when He gave us such people, and is there any joy like seeing genuine conversions?

We might say that John the Baptist had a ‘soul-winning’ ministry. But note how this flows on from the words about him being filled with the Spirit. He could not do what He did out of his own resources.

While all Christians have a responsibility to be witnesses to Jesus (by life and by lip), some are especially gifted to be evangelists. They seem to have a God-given knack of bringing people to Christ. However, we all need the Holy Spirit’s power to fulfil our calling (Acts 1:8).

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zech.4:6).

‘Our high and privileged calling is to do the will of God in the power of God for the glory of God.’ J.I. Packer