ONLY TWO THINGS Make A Minister of God Trustworthy (Part 2)

Should there be "dense clouds" in church meetings, or audible voices from a mountain or heaven when ministers speak or act?

Neither of these things happened with John the Baptist. There was no dense cloud that surrounded him when he spoke.  God did not speak to John from heaven. But God did speak to and through John, though not "miraculously" so.  From John's birth, he was filled with the Spirit.  And by the Spirit he began his ministry until Jesus increased and John decreased.  Jesus called him the greatest of all the prophets, greater than Moses, having the spirit of Elijah, though not performing the miracles of either.

John's power was supernatural.  It was the power of the Spirit in him, filling him, drawing people from all walks of life to a desert to hear "the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:  prepare the way of the Lord." 

Think of John as a practical example for you as a servant of God, because we who believe in Jesus are all ministers.  We are called to be witnesses of Jesus.  And Jesus said in Acts 1:8

"You will receive power when the Spirit comes upon you.  And you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth."

How do you receive and experience this power?

1. Ask.
2. Thank God.
3. Do the job God gave you to do.

Jesus said, "If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask?"

• Ask God to empower you with His Spirit to be a witness of Jesus.  Just ask.

• Then thank God, because Jesus promised God would give the Spirit to those who ask.

He won't give a snake, or scorpion, or rock, each symbolizing an agent of the enemy.  He will give you what you ask for.  So thank Him for it.

• Finally, do your job, expecting a power from the Spirit you didn't have before. 

If you are a teacher, expect insights before and during teaching you didn't have before.  Expect to impact your students with new skill.  If you're a student, expect to learn with new mental clarity, a clarity you didn't have before you asked God to empower you by the Spirit. And expect this power to bear witness to Jesus.  In other words, someone will notice. And you will bear witness.