Jesus Christ Superhero!

 I'm going to tell you a story that will be hard to believe, but every word of it is true.

 Once upon a time I was a "Comic Book Geek". I think it may have started as a kid with a large collection of Star Wars and GI Joe action figures. I would play outside with them for hours. I'm sure there are some still buried in the backyard of my childhood home. My brother and I used to make the whole DC and Marvel Universe out of Play-Doh. My mom still has those 30 years later.

 When I got older (24) I had a friend that owned Goblin Comics in Vancouver WA. That's when things got out of control. I acquired many of long boxes full of comics. Judge Dredd, Thor, The Incredible Hulk and way too many Image Comics titles to mention were my favorites. It didn't just stop with "Graphic Novels" (Graphic Novels is a term to make those afflicted feel justified by being a grown man with thousands of dollars worth of comic books) though I had boxes and boxes of assorted action figures and cards too. I have since then sold them off or given them away.

 I think what always appealed to me about Superheroes is the fact that I need a savior. Even though make-believe, that's what they were. They fought against evil, stood for justice and truth. They were someone to find hope in, but no matter which Superhero you favor they all have a similarity... they aren't perfect. They always struggled with their human propensity to sin.

 No matter how I felt reading those stories they weren't real, those heroes weren't going to fly down and save me and I would never have a personal relationship with them. Then I found the Holy Bible. It is a story of the Greatest Superhero of all time. It's a story of Jesus Christ and how he came to save the world and continues to save the world. Jesus Christ fights against evil, stands for justice and He is the truth. He is the hope of the of the world, but unlike the "Graphic Novels" , Jesus is perfect, real, and alive. He lived the perfect life for me so He could be the perfect sacrifice for my soul. Jesus died to save me and resurrected from the dead to give me new life. He didn't do this for fame, money, pity or because of anything I did. He did it because of His love for us.

 It is our sin that puts Him on the Cross, but bigger than that, it's His love for us that makes Him endure. He is stronger than our sin. He is more powerful than all evil. He loves us, despite our constant failure and eagerly awaits our arrival in Heaven. How awesome is that!?

 Jesus Christ is the ultimate superhero and I have a personal relationship with Him. I have felt Him with his hands on me pulling me out of death, darkness and into life. I have heard Him speak to me. It doesn't matter if it is John 3:16 for the first time, or for the 316th time, there is always something new. Unlike the comics, every time I read the Bible, God reveals new truths to me, encourages me, strengthens me, teaches me and builds me up to be more like Him.

 So now every time that I watch a Superhero movie or put on my Green Lantern or Thor t-shirt I am reminded of the Gospel. In Jesus Christ I don't have just a t-shirt...I have a full suit of armor, a shield, and an awesome sword. Believing in Him as my savior makes me alive, gives me hope and equips me for battle alongside Him.

Jason

1 Corinthians 13:11 " When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways."