If you ever wrestle with a bout of insomnia, I have a sure-fire way to end this problem. Turn on the television and find a network showing non-stop infomercials. You know what I’m talking about. Find a station that has a heapin’-helpin’, hefty dose of promotions for Abs of Steel and Miracle Hair Revivers and the ever-popular FDA-approved Flab Blaster Capsules. Soon, whatever has been causing the insomnia will cry out for mercy. To escape the absurdity of these infomercials, insomnia will gladly give way, and soon the zzz’s will be flying through the night air.
Have you ever noticed one common factor among all these infomercials? While all of the hype and promotion of miraculous results are being promised, you will invariably briefly see the words at the bottom of your television screen, “Results Not Typical” in super tiny print. According to this disclaimer, after paying four easy payments of $19.95 plus shipping and handling, you won’t necessarily look like the person that you see on the Abs of Steel infomercial, whose dumpy, anemic body in six short weeks turned into a walking pile of muscle. Because of this disclaimer, you can count on the fact that after spending $39.95 plus shipping and handling for Miracle Hair Revivers, ladies WON’T someday be running their fingers through that beautiful new head of hair. I’ll leave it to your imagination what you will look like after faithfully taking the Flab Buster Capsules. For each of these products (and many more), the small print says it all – results are NOT typical.
Before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, you and I had to live in the “results not typical” world. In reading through the Old Testament and the four gospels, we won’t find too many of us “common” folks doing great things for God. Fortunately, the day of Pentecost changed everything. The small print announcing “results not typical” across the lives of the Billy Bobs, Mary Janes, and Joe Schmos disappeared. Now, because of the One who has been called to walk alongside us, the great Equipper, the heavenly Revealer, the energized Pray-er who now abides within us, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING can happen. The life of the supernatural can be the way of life rather than the exception. The “these signs shall” found in Mark 16 can happen in the life of the person living on your street, in your house, wearing your clothes. In other words, YOU!
Come on now. Believe that this is true. Begin to talk and act as though Jesus actually knew what He was talking about. As a believer who allows the Holy Spirit to abide and operate through you, expect New Testament results! Who knows, you might soon be making your own RESULTS ARE TYPICAL infomercials!
