What Every Hero Needs - A Superpower

I love the movie "Mystery Men." It's a complete mockery of superheroes. You take a bunch of average guys who are convinced that they are super, with ridiculous "powers," and they end up saving the world anyway. As someone who loves idiotic movies, this is a gem. You've got the guy who gets super angry, the guy who is really good at throwing forks at people, another who beats people up with a shovel, and the guy who has horrible farts. Then there is my favorite of the group, Invisible Boy, who can turn invisible, but only when people aren't looking.

I think Christians can get caught up in the reality of this though. We read about the super heroes of the Bible, but when we hold up the mirror of God's Word to our own lives, we feel like a bunch of average
Joe's with nothing exciting to offer the world. We can become really super at being average.

The reality, though, is that Jesus never meant for the disciples to be the last of the superheroes. In fact, John 14:12 makes it sound just the opposite. Jesus says that anyone who believes in Him would do the things He did, and GREATER things. If that's the case, we need to tap into His super, because every hero needs a super power. And the power that makes US super is Holy Spirit.

The Bible seems to be pretty clear that we get Holy Spirit when we get Christ as our Savior. But that's only one part of the story. Jesus said that He would send us a Comforter, someone to guarantee our Salvation, and I believe that's what Holy Spirit comes to do the moment we are saved! However, Jesus also promised that we would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. That's the part that seems to get lost at times. We want His peace, but we don't always want the power - because power requires action.

Bill Johnson says this, and I wholeheartedly agree - Holy Spirit is IN us, for us. But He is ON us for others.

Jesus' entrance into ministry is a cool model for what I believe Holy Spirit wants to do in us. In Luke 4:1 Jesus goes into the wilderness following His baptism. It reads "Jesus, FULL of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness." He then enters a time of testing by the Devil. And wins. But in Luke 4:14, Jesus returns - watch how it reads - "Jesus returned to Galilee IN THE POWER of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through the whole countryside." 

Holy Spirit's presence and power are two different things. We get Him when we get Jesus, and He comforts and seals us. But as He leads us, we begin to learn that He wants to fill us with power to do the work of Jesus.

It's an amazing journey, and we never stop learning, and He never stops teaching. But He also never stops giving us the tools and resources we need to change the world.

You were born to burn. Don't let yourself become super at being average. 

Mighty Hero! The Lord is with you! You were born for such a time as this! You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you!