Monday, November 10, 2014
Jokes about lawyers, politicians, and preachers are among the most popular of many comedians and may very likely be the main reason why many stand-up comics stay in business to begin with. The sad truth is that is that many in these three professions give comedians all the material they need to ply their trade. That is one reason I was so encouraged yesterday in church when one prominent newly-elected public official joined us for our worship service. He even went to the altar for prayer after the sermon. As in the professions I mentioned, and many other fields of public service, not all who are in them are there for the right reasons. That causes many people to think that all politicians are corrupt, which of course cannot be true.
That being said, anyone who reads this blog with a worldly mindset will probably think that I let some politician pull the wool over my eyes. Now, I cannot pretend that I have not been fooled before, but there also is such a thing that many believers refer to as the “witness of the spirit.” This is what we mean by that: The same Spirit (God’s) dwells within every true believer, and whenever they have a conversation, “something” within them tells them they belong in the same family. (God’s) That was the same feeling I had the very first time I had a conversation with some of you who are reading this blog, or with someone in your family; and it came within the first five minutes of our encounter. That also occurred yesterday when I conversed with our visiting public official. In the 8th Chapter of Romans, Paul wrote that those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God, and then he added: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:16)
I believe that that same process was in place on the day when Mary visited Elizabeth, who was pregnant at the time and about to give birth to John the Baptist. Mary had just had the encounter with the angel Gabriel and the Spirit of God had come upon her as well. Luke 1:41 says: “When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Even though they were still in the womb, John knew that Christ was present because of the “witness of the Spirit.” I am not a name dropper, but as I close I ask your prayers for the public servant in question that God will use him greatly to touch people’s lives, for first of all he is a servant of God.
Memory verse for the week: (John 12:26) “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”
