John 21—Acts 3
I love superhero stories—I really do. And I don’t think I am alone: I mean, I can’t be the only person that made a cape out of my bed sheet and jumped off the back of the living room couch, truly believing that I could fly into the kitchen and grab a cookie from that unreachable cookie jar. Unfortunately, I stopped thinking I could be superman and focused on how I could be ‘guy-that-goes-to-work-everyday’ man. Hence, God’s word became less a wondrous book of exciting events and more of a practical and ordinary guide to living.
There is nothing wrong with seeing the practical parts in the bible, but the end of John and the beginning of Acts are anything but ordinary. Jesus rises from the dead and hangs out with his buddies and cooks for them; he gathers his league of disciples and gives them superpowers (i.e. the holy spirit) before he flies up to heaven; these apostles went about preaching God’s word and demonstrating the same superhero qualities as Jesus did during his ministry.
I admit, though, that I often look at passages such as these and mentally omit all the miraculous moments. I’ll focus on the content of conversations and not the fact that these conversations were taking place during some crazy situations. Take, for instance, Acts chapter two: the holy spirit descended on the apostles. It must have been an amazing sight. However, that practical part of me wants to respond like the people who just thought the apostles were drunk. When I think that way, I forget that most of the bible’s accounts of God’s demonstration of his power are through the supernatural to show his mastery over His creation. I get skeptical because I think that the supernatural doesn’t occur anymore—it’s just in books and movies. Yet, I have never met a Christian that hasn’t felt the holy spirit at one particular point in their life to help them make a crucial decision, lead them when they were not confident, or guide them in helping others, etc. Just as Jesus chose these ordinary men to wield extraordinary powers, we have extraordinary powers available to us if we ask God. So go grab your bed sheet, tie it around your neck like a cape, and ask God for the power of the Holy Spirit. You’ll be surprised how incredible life will become!
Jim
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