"Another Spirit”

Illus: For example, have you noticed the difference between the employer and the employee, such as:

• When you take a long time, you're slow.

• When your boss takes a long time, he's thorough.

• When you don't do it, you're lazy.

• When your boss doesn't do it, he's too busy.

• When you make a mistake, you're an idiot.

• When your boss makes a mistake, he's only human.

• When you take a stand, you're being bullheaded.

• When your boss does it, he's being firm.

• When you overlooked a rule of etiquette, you're being rude.

• When your boss skips a few rules, he's being original.

• When you're out of the office, you're wandering around.

• When your boss is out of the office, he's on business.

Illus: Speaking of difference among us, it reminds me of a black man, who said to a white man:

• When I was born...I was BLACK

• When I grew up...I was BLACK

• When I am sick...I am BLACK

• When I go out in the sun...I am BLACK

• When I go out in the cold...I am BLACK

• When I die...I am BLACK

BUT YOU WHITE FOLK …

• When you are born...You are PINK

• When you grow up...You are WHITE

• When you are sick...You are GREEN

• When you go out in the sun...You are RED

• When you go out in the cold...You are BLUE

• When you die...You turn PURPLE

…and you have the nerve to call me "COLORED"!

There are many differences among us, such as:

• Cultural differences

• Social differences

• Gender differences

When God sent the twelve men to spy out the Promised Land, we see a major spiritual difference in the twelve. For example:

• Ten came back and said, “We are like grasshoppers in the land, we cannot enter.”

• Two of them, Joshua and Caleb, said, “We are well able to possess the land.”

The children of Israel were influenced by the majority, and it was one of the worst mistakes the children of Israel had ever made. Someone said, “The majority is always right!” The majority is not always right!

Illus: Because the majority is not always right, our forefathers set up the electoral system for electing a president. Communication back then was not what it is now. They did not have radio, television, magazines or newspapers as we have today. They did not have airplanes and trains to enable politicians to campaign across this nation.

• It was possible to elect a President that many did not know a thing about

• It was possible to elect a President that was not qualified

So the electoral college, the best this nation has, could step in and override the majority, because the MAJORITY IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT!

Illus: When I think of the majority ruling, I think of the four rabbis that had a series of theological arguments, and three were always in accord against the fourth.

One day he decided to appeal to a higher authority.

• "Oh, God!" he cried. "I know in my heart that I am right and they are wrong! Please give me a sign to prove it to them!" It was a beautiful, sunny day. As soon as the rabbi finished his prayer, a storm cloud moved across the sky above the four. It rumbled once and dissolved. "A sign from God! See, I'm right, I knew it!" But the other three disagreed, pointing out that storm clouds form on hot days.

• So the rabbi prayed again, "Oh, God, I need a bigger sign to show that I am right and they are wrong. So please, God, a bigger sign!" This time four storm clouds appeared, rushed toward each other to form one big cloud, and a bolt of lightning slammed into a tree on a nearby hill. "I told you I was right!" cried the rabbi, but his friends insisted that nothing had happened that could not be explained by natural causes.

• The rabbi was getting ready to ask for a very BIG SIGN, but just as he said, "Oh God...," the sky turned pitch black, the earth shook, and a deep, booming voice intoned, "HEEEEEEEE'S RIIIIIIIGHT!"

• The rabbi put his hands on his hips, turned to the other three, and said, "Well?" "So," shrugged one of the other rabbis, "now it's 3 to 2"

Joshua and Caleb were greatly outnumbered, but they gave the right report, and the Bible reveals there was a difference between them and the other ten men.

God was so pleased with these two men, who the Bible said had, “another Spirit”, that God said of Caleb, “But my servant Caleb, BECAUSE HE HAD ANOTHER SPIRIT WITH HIM, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”