Those astute readers who look for elements of theme and/or design might note there is no question mark after the title of this post. There is a period. A definitive statement made in one word: supernatural.
Some intellectuals and many kinds of scientists often study ways to discredit the supernatural elements in existence on planet earth. Anything that can’t be explained by natural causes and effects gets relegated to theoretical discovery or assumption. I find it fascinating when the age of something is attributed to several hundred million years ago when it’s impossible to prove. Those same pseudo-scientists mock the account of a God-given creation noted by other scientists who’ve discovered how reliable biblical documentation has proven to be.
For the Christian there can be no argument against the supernatural. Both God and the enemies of our souls operate in the spiritual kingdom which by all biblical accounts is more expansive and real than our own little earthly dwelling. The universe and beyond all belong to our Creator, the one and only Triune God. So if we accept that He is who He says He is, then we most certainly experience the supernatural in our lives.
It’s ironic that some Christians will accept some of the supernatural aspects of God’s word but kibosh other supernatural elements. As if any of it can be relegated to what’s comfortable for us to accept, we pick and choose what we will stand for and brush aside what bothers us with non-contextual references to explain them away.
Wednesday night I experienced a very specific dream. A major player in the dream was an author I only somewhat know from cyberspace. There was no recent communication with this person, no particular Facebook comment, nothing to bring her to mind. Yet she was there amidst several others who had no recognizable faces. Hers was clear and detailed before and after a troubling event in the dream. Since the particulars were so specific, I sent her a guarded account of the dream, suggesting it might have spiritual implications to her and to do whatever with the information. Her reply gave real meaning to the dream, and she received a specific scripture to go with it. This is not “natural”. It’s supernatural.
Most of us who believe in the supernatural can give many accounts of divine and devilish interference in our lives. In hindsight those of us who didn’t walk with the Lord since childhood can recall instances where God or the devil intervened in unusual ways to either rescue or harm us.
Part of the supernatural elements many Christians choose to disregard is that of spiritual warfare. Often it’s equated with secular horror films or Stephen King novels. It’s often reduced to simple good versus evil. Some of the CBA supernatural suspense authors portray demons and demonic occurrences in much the same way as the world depicts them and similar to each other as writers. Takeoffs (or knockoffs) from Frank Peretti’s work who originated this arm of Christian fiction and gave it substance have gained momentum of late, but in my opinion not all of them seem to be writing from an area of core and/or personal experience. Having some background in spiritual warfare, the supernatural elements of confronting the enemies of our souls begin with the power of the Holy Spirit (the Sword of the Spirit) and the Name of Jesus (who is the Word of God). The scriptural references to the various events where Jesus engaged the enemy give specifics for each of the encounters which were individually unique.
Regardless of the level of your experience in Christianity, you simply cannot be a Christian without experiencing the supernatural. And if you’re willing to invest in the God of all creation and believe He is who He claims to be then it’s to your benefit to explore His whole Word and gain His chosen perspective for your walk with Him. Ill-equipped saints do little to further the revelation of salvation and the reality of Jesus. His intent for us is to be “led by the Spirit” and to “walk in the Spirit”. We have been given supernatural assistance to do this. And we can live in that fullness to the extent we are willing to do so. The power of God lives in us, and His desire is for His people to be obedient to His will for them. Without employing His supernatural strength we settle for a mediocre and often sedentary spiritual lifestyle that doesn’t afford much credit to or action in the supernatural aspects of kingdom living. To our shame. To our loss.
The walls we erect to shield ourselves from false doctrines or indulging the flesh in emotional “displays” or even from being unable to discern the devil’s version of mimicking godly occurrences are mere fear tactics raised by the enemy himself to keep Christians from seeking fuller growth in the spiritual realm. There is no viable and reasonable excuse for being unable to do what the disciples did because the same power is within us. And all the recognition, all the glory, all the praise, and all the gratitude for the resource and provision are given to God. He uses these flawed and weakened vessels of flesh, these prone-to-prideful human beings to be His instruments to cement relationships with others just like us. His love surpasses our weaknesses, and His power to accomplish His will is limitless. What He asks of us is to be willing. Willing to trust His directions. Willing to stretch our experiences with Him. Willing to be all that He designed us to be.
Is it too much for Him to ask us to be the supernatural purveyors of His will and His ways when He provides all the ammo? I think not.
Father, you know me. Fill me. Guide me. Keep me in check when I want to run ahead. Push me when I want to hang back. In the time I have left help me to be all you designed me to be. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.