People listened. People were enthralled with His wisdom.

But, Jesus had no letters after His name, no title, no formal training, no paper diploma, no official authority, no position. He had nothing. Yet, Jesus had everything! He had understanding, power, and truth.

We as humans so often cave into believing man’s lies that we don’t even see them as lies sometimes!

Jesus had zero earthly qualifications. He sent out the disciples with zero earthly qualifications. At Pentecost the apostles became apostles with tongues of fire, not diplomas. Paul was added to their number through a godly act of blindness, erasing much of what Paul considered good with heartfelt repentance. And yet today, we respect only those with papers, training, letters. Why?

Because there is so little real. So few walk with true godly authority and power. So few speak the truth. So few posses godly wisdom. So few seek God more than man. What an indictment on our generation! We praise the wisdom of man in part because we so rarely see the true work of God!

Yet today we tend to see everything as a miracle of God. We go to the doctor with a problem, take the medicine he prescribes, and call the result a miracle. Why? How often do we see one walk in the authority of Jesus… “lay hand on them and they will recover.” We have reduced miracles to commonplace acts because real miracles are few and far between.

Peter said “what I have I give thee, rise up and walk”

Jesus asked “what is easier, to forgive sins or to say rise up and walk”?

Today, in absence of true power, glory, and truth we put ritual, tradition, and man’s approval in diplomas, letters, authority. But what if we didn’t? What if instead of years of seminary, what if we looked for years of prayer and repentance. Years of spending time alone, in a dessert, with a holy God. What if we looked for fruit of repentance in every man’s life? What if we sought the presence of holy conviction in a man’s words? What if we sought after God’s power over the death and destruction of the enemy? What if the blind would see, the crippled walk?

What if?

Then, papers, diplomas, letters, recognition would not matter. When someone walks in truth and power like Jesus, nothing else matters. People are amazed. People come. Lives change.

It doesn’t matter who you are, how old or young you are, how bad you may have lived, how little you may know, none off that matters at all. All that matters is, seeking God’s face. Living daily with Jesus. Spending time alone letting the Holy Spirit clean the corners and crevices of your heart from all impurity, all selfish ambition, all self serving goals. Turning your life and heart over to the savior and truly living for Him.

Do that and God will move, through you, just as in this scripture. Jesus promised that we would do even greater things than Jesus did. Are you ready? He is. He has waited all your life to use you. Waited for you to honor the act baptism and turn your life over to Him, die to self, life for Christ.

Then you can walk unannounced into the church and spread God’s truth in a way that touches and amazes people, changes hearts, and even heals the sick. Because it’s not you, it’s the Holy Spirit within you.

Seek Him first, and all else will be added unto you.