NSMinistries
May 24th 2008, 01:38 AM
Written by Gary Piper Admin/Co-Owner NSM "Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
I remember as a kid sitting in front of our black and white television set anticipating here the word booming from the speaker, “More powerful than a locomotive! Faster than a speeding bullet! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! It's Superman!” And George Reeves would fly across the screen in his superman costume saving the day for someone. Superman was really a Newspaper Reporter named Clark Kent who came to earth from a distant fictional planet called Krypton and because of our yellow sun had strange super powers who was dedicated to “liberty and justice for all.”
We all know that Superman and Clark Kent were not real but the product of someone’s imagination but wouldn't it be great if superman was real? Wouldn't it be neat if someone were on our side that had super powers? What if I told you there were people in our world that did have super powers? Would you believe me? Would you expect me to show you someone dressed in a Super Person costume with a big S on it? Would you expect me to show you a video recording of someone flying unassisted with their arms stretched out in front of them with a cape flapping in the wind? We all know I couldn't do that, not without some form of deception by using special effects.
But such people with super powers do exist! While it is true, they can't fly. They are not bulletproof. They don't have the physical strength as depicted in Superman movies and comics. They don't come from a solar system light years away but they do come from out of our own midst. They don't get their super powers from a green sun but they do get their power from a Son – the Son of God. By worldly standards these Superperson's aren't super at all in fact in many ways they are far more susceptible to human frailties then other without their super powers.
Before going on let me, explain where these Superpersons’s get their super powers. Prior to his returning to heaven 40 days after his resurrection Jesus said to his disciples (and us as well), “He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'”(Acts 1:7 – 1:8, emphasis added)
In his one of his last conversations with his disciples prior to his death on the cross Jesus described some of the powers that the Holy Spirit would give me (and us as well), “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)
Perhaps the easiest way to examine some of the things Jesus did (some of the things the Holy Spirit will empower us to do) is to look at Jesus' mission statement as recorded in Isaiah chapter 61. The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion―to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified”(Isaiah 61:1 – 61:3)
Jesus' mission was to: to bring good news to the poor – bind up the brokenhearted – proclaim liberty to the captives – opening of the prison to those who are bound – to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor – the day of vengeance of our God – to comfort all who mourn – to grant to those who mourn in Zion―to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit – that they may be called oaks of righteousness – the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. Perhaps we could sum all these things up by simply saying Jesus came to minister to people at the point (or points) of their greatest need and Jesus was quick to point out that his power (ability) to do those thing came to him from God.
Earlier I made the statement that Superman was not real, well I was wrong the fictional super hero character titled Superman does not nor has he ever existed but if ever there was someone who could live up to characteristics of Superman it would be Jesus. With the world’s thirst for a super hero it's sad that for the most part Jesus goes unnoticed because he is a true Super Hero and what's equally important is that he through the Holy Spirit as commissioned humans with all their human frailties to pick up where he left off. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)
I would like to tell you about the Superperson I married. I am sure when she reads this she will deny that she has super powers and she will have all kinds of reasons for denying them. She will be embarrassed because there are times when she thinks of herself as just the opposite yet when she will take a long hard look at the way she has ministered to people at the point of their greatest need without thinking about herself she'll be unable to deny the truth of words that I am writing.
Before going on I need to say that my Patti does not stand as the lone Superperson there tens of thousands and perhaps even more than that of such persons that fit that title some of them are quite famous such as Mother Teresa but most of them go unrecognized. I wish I could hold all of those who do go unrecognized up for all to see not to puff up their egos but for examples of what we all can do if we only give our lives as them have. I suspect as you read this you'll recognize the Superperson's who have made a difference in your life.
We've already stated the Holy Spirit gives Superperson his or her power but there are other elements as well and perhaps the second biggest contributor is the circumstances of life. Necessity is not only the mother of inventions; necessity is also the author of Superpersons. Just as a might oak tree breaks out of the soil in which it is planted and grows to greatness Superpersons empowered by the Holy Spirit break forth from the soil of life. Just as the mighty oak tree gives its life for the world surrounding it so does the Superperson give his or her life for those around them. Just as it takes a mighty oak tree to grow tall and straight, it takes time for Superpersons to develop their super powers. No matter whatever fate awaits the mighty oak tree it will always be oak, no matter what fate awaits a Superperson they will always be a fragile human filled with doubts, weaknesses, and vulnerability.
I could write more about that things shaped Patti into a Superperson but in so doing, I would fall far short of telling her complete story. Yet the when I think about those things Isaiah outlined about Jesus' ministry over the 40 plus years I've known her I can say, “Yeah that's my Patti.” Before going on I would like to point out three things that give her Superperson status (although there are many others). Her 92 year old father resides now in a nursing home and is an Alzheimer patient in addition to the mental stress of seeing her father fading away she is the primary contact person with the nursing home. Patti's 89-year-old mother depends on Patti for much of her care such as driving her around, running errands for her, making doctor appointments, taking care of things around the house, and other personal things. And then there's me because of multiple hip replacement (both sides) I am somewhat limited on what I can and can't do so she steps up to the plate often at great sacrifice to herself. And of course, there are many other things she does that call for her to be Superperson.
I am sure there are Patti's in your own life as well and I hope that the few details I shared with you about my Patti will help you remember and focus on the Superpersons in your life and at the same time remember that in your own way you too are or can be a Superperson.
In one of the paragraphs above I made mention of the “continuing story” we humans have a tendency to divide up our lives into segments such as the age of adolescence, young adults, middle age, and old age just to mention of few and even in those we sub-divide them. Yet who we are is the sum of all that we have been. I think it is important for us to see our spiritual growth not in segments but as one continuing story. There are no doubt ligament reasons for doing so it is equally important to see us as continuously in the growth process. By doing that we are able to see our failures not as failures but as lessons and at the same time we can see the adversities as what I call “growth spurts” when we compartmentalize our lives we have a tendency to see failures not as lessons but as flaws. And we adversities not at “growth spurts” but either as payments for wrong doings or someone out to get us.
I know that seeing life as one continuous process rather than in stages is subtle and it seems as if I am making “a mountain out of a mole hill” (as my dad used to say) but we humans begin to run into trouble when we see our lives in the negative light failure and adversity. When we compartmentalize our lives, we give the devil “portals” through which he can maliciously and falsely use our humanness against us. Yet when we adopt the idea that “smile God is still growing me yet” the devil is denied those “portals” and all he can do is stand helplessly by unable to even scratch the surface of a lump of coal becoming a diamond otherwise known as a Superperson.
We live in a world full of Superpersons who everyday go about living life and sharing God's life with those in need of someone to share God' life with them. They don't think of themselves as Superpersons many of them instead feel over burdened, think of themselves as being used, wondering what the ever did to deserve a life not their own. Some even feel guilty because there are times when they just want people to go away and leave them alone yet the next time a need arises they automatically come to the rescue in their Superperson role. The rewards of being a Superperson are few and far between sometimes they don't even get a thank you but I can assure you their very human Superperson deeds do not go unnoticed as Jesus suggests in the Matthew “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”(Matthew 10:29 – 10:31)
While the ultimate reward for those who are Superpersons awaits them when the flyaway home to the Heavenly Mansion Jesus is now preparing for them, the greatest reward they'll receive in this life the continuing blessing of being a Superperson. Again Jesus has this to say to all those who ARE Superpersons, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:13 – 15:16)
I wish I could make all the worlds Superpersons their own costume and on the front I'd put the biggest and brightest red “S” I could but it would not stand for Superperson it would stand for Sacrificer because no one can become a Superperson without first sacrificing their life for another. In fact, when you really stop to think about it sacrificing is what being a Superperson is all about.
God Bless the Superperson in your life!
If you are a Superperson (and you probably are) those of us with super-needs owe you much but we’ll just lift you up in prayer.
Grace and Peace,
Gary
I remember as a kid sitting in front of our black and white television set anticipating here the word booming from the speaker, “More powerful than a locomotive! Faster than a speeding bullet! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! It's Superman!” And George Reeves would fly across the screen in his superman costume saving the day for someone. Superman was really a Newspaper Reporter named Clark Kent who came to earth from a distant fictional planet called Krypton and because of our yellow sun had strange super powers who was dedicated to “liberty and justice for all.”
We all know that Superman and Clark Kent were not real but the product of someone’s imagination but wouldn't it be great if superman was real? Wouldn't it be neat if someone were on our side that had super powers? What if I told you there were people in our world that did have super powers? Would you believe me? Would you expect me to show you someone dressed in a Super Person costume with a big S on it? Would you expect me to show you a video recording of someone flying unassisted with their arms stretched out in front of them with a cape flapping in the wind? We all know I couldn't do that, not without some form of deception by using special effects.
But such people with super powers do exist! While it is true, they can't fly. They are not bulletproof. They don't have the physical strength as depicted in Superman movies and comics. They don't come from a solar system light years away but they do come from out of our own midst. They don't get their super powers from a green sun but they do get their power from a Son – the Son of God. By worldly standards these Superperson's aren't super at all in fact in many ways they are far more susceptible to human frailties then other without their super powers.
Before going on let me, explain where these Superpersons’s get their super powers. Prior to his returning to heaven 40 days after his resurrection Jesus said to his disciples (and us as well), “He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'”(Acts 1:7 – 1:8, emphasis added)
In his one of his last conversations with his disciples prior to his death on the cross Jesus described some of the powers that the Holy Spirit would give me (and us as well), “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)
Perhaps the easiest way to examine some of the things Jesus did (some of the things the Holy Spirit will empower us to do) is to look at Jesus' mission statement as recorded in Isaiah chapter 61. The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion―to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified”(Isaiah 61:1 – 61:3)
Jesus' mission was to: to bring good news to the poor – bind up the brokenhearted – proclaim liberty to the captives – opening of the prison to those who are bound – to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor – the day of vengeance of our God – to comfort all who mourn – to grant to those who mourn in Zion―to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit – that they may be called oaks of righteousness – the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. Perhaps we could sum all these things up by simply saying Jesus came to minister to people at the point (or points) of their greatest need and Jesus was quick to point out that his power (ability) to do those thing came to him from God.
Earlier I made the statement that Superman was not real, well I was wrong the fictional super hero character titled Superman does not nor has he ever existed but if ever there was someone who could live up to characteristics of Superman it would be Jesus. With the world’s thirst for a super hero it's sad that for the most part Jesus goes unnoticed because he is a true Super Hero and what's equally important is that he through the Holy Spirit as commissioned humans with all their human frailties to pick up where he left off. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)
I would like to tell you about the Superperson I married. I am sure when she reads this she will deny that she has super powers and she will have all kinds of reasons for denying them. She will be embarrassed because there are times when she thinks of herself as just the opposite yet when she will take a long hard look at the way she has ministered to people at the point of their greatest need without thinking about herself she'll be unable to deny the truth of words that I am writing.
Before going on I need to say that my Patti does not stand as the lone Superperson there tens of thousands and perhaps even more than that of such persons that fit that title some of them are quite famous such as Mother Teresa but most of them go unrecognized. I wish I could hold all of those who do go unrecognized up for all to see not to puff up their egos but for examples of what we all can do if we only give our lives as them have. I suspect as you read this you'll recognize the Superperson's who have made a difference in your life.
We've already stated the Holy Spirit gives Superperson his or her power but there are other elements as well and perhaps the second biggest contributor is the circumstances of life. Necessity is not only the mother of inventions; necessity is also the author of Superpersons. Just as a might oak tree breaks out of the soil in which it is planted and grows to greatness Superpersons empowered by the Holy Spirit break forth from the soil of life. Just as the mighty oak tree gives its life for the world surrounding it so does the Superperson give his or her life for those around them. Just as it takes a mighty oak tree to grow tall and straight, it takes time for Superpersons to develop their super powers. No matter whatever fate awaits the mighty oak tree it will always be oak, no matter what fate awaits a Superperson they will always be a fragile human filled with doubts, weaknesses, and vulnerability.
I could write more about that things shaped Patti into a Superperson but in so doing, I would fall far short of telling her complete story. Yet the when I think about those things Isaiah outlined about Jesus' ministry over the 40 plus years I've known her I can say, “Yeah that's my Patti.” Before going on I would like to point out three things that give her Superperson status (although there are many others). Her 92 year old father resides now in a nursing home and is an Alzheimer patient in addition to the mental stress of seeing her father fading away she is the primary contact person with the nursing home. Patti's 89-year-old mother depends on Patti for much of her care such as driving her around, running errands for her, making doctor appointments, taking care of things around the house, and other personal things. And then there's me because of multiple hip replacement (both sides) I am somewhat limited on what I can and can't do so she steps up to the plate often at great sacrifice to herself. And of course, there are many other things she does that call for her to be Superperson.
I am sure there are Patti's in your own life as well and I hope that the few details I shared with you about my Patti will help you remember and focus on the Superpersons in your life and at the same time remember that in your own way you too are or can be a Superperson.
In one of the paragraphs above I made mention of the “continuing story” we humans have a tendency to divide up our lives into segments such as the age of adolescence, young adults, middle age, and old age just to mention of few and even in those we sub-divide them. Yet who we are is the sum of all that we have been. I think it is important for us to see our spiritual growth not in segments but as one continuing story. There are no doubt ligament reasons for doing so it is equally important to see us as continuously in the growth process. By doing that we are able to see our failures not as failures but as lessons and at the same time we can see the adversities as what I call “growth spurts” when we compartmentalize our lives we have a tendency to see failures not as lessons but as flaws. And we adversities not at “growth spurts” but either as payments for wrong doings or someone out to get us.
I know that seeing life as one continuous process rather than in stages is subtle and it seems as if I am making “a mountain out of a mole hill” (as my dad used to say) but we humans begin to run into trouble when we see our lives in the negative light failure and adversity. When we compartmentalize our lives, we give the devil “portals” through which he can maliciously and falsely use our humanness against us. Yet when we adopt the idea that “smile God is still growing me yet” the devil is denied those “portals” and all he can do is stand helplessly by unable to even scratch the surface of a lump of coal becoming a diamond otherwise known as a Superperson.
We live in a world full of Superpersons who everyday go about living life and sharing God's life with those in need of someone to share God' life with them. They don't think of themselves as Superpersons many of them instead feel over burdened, think of themselves as being used, wondering what the ever did to deserve a life not their own. Some even feel guilty because there are times when they just want people to go away and leave them alone yet the next time a need arises they automatically come to the rescue in their Superperson role. The rewards of being a Superperson are few and far between sometimes they don't even get a thank you but I can assure you their very human Superperson deeds do not go unnoticed as Jesus suggests in the Matthew “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”(Matthew 10:29 – 10:31)
While the ultimate reward for those who are Superpersons awaits them when the flyaway home to the Heavenly Mansion Jesus is now preparing for them, the greatest reward they'll receive in this life the continuing blessing of being a Superperson. Again Jesus has this to say to all those who ARE Superpersons, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:13 – 15:16)
I wish I could make all the worlds Superpersons their own costume and on the front I'd put the biggest and brightest red “S” I could but it would not stand for Superperson it would stand for Sacrificer because no one can become a Superperson without first sacrificing their life for another. In fact, when you really stop to think about it sacrificing is what being a Superperson is all about.
God Bless the Superperson in your life!
If you are a Superperson (and you probably are) those of us with super-needs owe you much but we’ll just lift you up in prayer.
Grace and Peace,
Gary