“Every one who receives this Word, and by it salvation, receives along with it the duty of passing this Word on… Where there is no mission, there is no Church, and where there is neither Church nor mission, there is no faith.”
–Emil Brunner

Those are interesting words for me to read this morning. In particular because they come at the same time I am reading a book through which the author is challenging me to re-read and reassess some parts of Scripture. Sometimes a fictional book is the best way to breath new life into Scripture I my have glazed over in the past. Like these two parts:

Acts 12:10 when Peter walked out of prison right past two guards.
Luke 4:30 when Jesus walked through a crowd that was about to stone Him.

I don’t know that I’ve stopped and contemplated those verses before. But in ‘Soul’s Gate’, by James Rubart, the main characters AND MYSELF INCLUDED are challenged to re-read those words. To grab hold of just a small glimpse of the power of the Holy Spirit and of Christ. As one character asks, “Here’s a man who can make blind men see and you’re surprised he can make seeing men blind?” There is a question I have not asked myself, and yet the power in the answer is incredible.

It is easy for me to read Scripture and read about Christ doing miracles and stop there…at face value (Matthew 11:5). And forget about the miracles the disciples and other believers did through the power of the Spirit. The overarching challenge from Rubart’s book, but also for each of us, is to believe these words from John 14:12 – “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

All these words to say that our challenge as disciples, as teachers, as parents, as children, as writers, as photographers, as friends, as strangers, as co-workers, as spouses is to point people to the power and salvation of the Holy Spirit…to do greater things than He. Really? Are you kidding me? It is Christ who says we can. Let us joyfully bring hope to the world.