The setting is Jerusalem during the Roman occupation, 33 A.D. Groaning against the pain, bare body heaving and gasping for breath, Jesus cries out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” Darkness covers the city, and the thunder is fearsome as Jesus breathes his last. A witness to these events declares, “Surely this was the Son of God!”
There was something about these events that was not normal, that pointed to the presence of a divine power, something beyond the natural world—something supernatural. From the virgin birth, to the miracles of physical healing, to his death and resurrection, Jesus’s life on earth demonstrated that there was more to life than meets the eye. From start to finish it was supernatural. God’s divine power intersected with the natural world, and the result was miraculous. It was evidence of God’s reality, here among us.
Fast forward to Pretoria, South Africa, 2015 A.D. A believer sees a woman climbing stairs with a painful limp. Though she has a painful personal history with this woman, she senses God’s voice saying, “Pray for her for healing.” So even though this woman’s son had betrayed their family’s kindness and stolen from them, and although this woman had defended her son’s actions and shown no remorse, this Jesus-follower went to the woman’s bedside and prayed. God healed. Her foot was made whole. Once again, God’s divine power intersected with the natural world. A miracle took place, and God’s love and reality became visible.
As believers, we understand that we live in a world where what is natural is not all that is. We follow a God who created and called us into being, who formed this world ex nihilo, out of nothing, and placed us in it. We follow a God who stepped into that world in human form and demonstrated through power and love that God’s Kingdom is available here and now—that God is with us, present right now—both interactive and responsive to his people. We live in a world that is not defined by what is naturally possible, but by a God who makes all things possible!
And yet somehow we can still find ourselves living as if this God-reality is not our reality, as if God is far away, not fully present and available to us. What would shift in our lives if we started to really live as if supernatural reality was a normal part of God-centered reality?
Over the next two months, we will be focusing our posts around this theme of God’s supernatural reality, present and available to us today. We want to delve into stories of answers to prayer and explore how we can pray with greater expectation. We want to lean in to hearing the whispers of God’s voice, and discover what is possible when we partner with him in supernatural ways. Why? Because we believe God is inviting us to join him in making his love and power tangibly real in the world! We hope you’ll be encouraged and challenged over the coming months as you join in.