Since the Holy Spirit surprised me in my twenties, I can see His work all through the Bible. But I have wondered, am I just cherry-picking verses that affirm my wonderful experiences?

So on a series of plane trips one summer I went through the whole New Testament looking for supernatural experiences. My informal criteria was: would I feel uncomfortable telling this story about myself from a pulpit? Like, could I talk about meeting an angel, or being tormented by a demon? Could I say I prophesied, spoke in tongues or healed someone?

Here are excerpts from each chapter of Matthew:

1. pregnant through Spirit, angel, dream
2. angels and dreams
3. baptize Holy Spirit, Spirit like a dove, voice from heaven
4. led by Spirit, tempted by devil, angels attended, healing, deliverance
5. prophets
6. deliver us
7. ask and it will be given to you
8. healing, deliverance, rebuke weather
9. healing, deliverance, raise dead
10. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse leprosy, drive out demons
11. blind receive sight, lame walk, leprosy cleansed, deaf hear, dead are raised
12. healing, deliverance
13. evil one snatches, enemy sows weeds, few miracles because no faith
14. miraculous powers, feeding, walk on water, healings
15. deliverance, healing, feeding
16. revealed by God, bind and loose, get behind me Satan
17. transfiguration, deliverance, faith moves mountains, coin in fish
18. two or three agree it will be done
19. healings
20. healings
21. find colt, healings, curse tree
22. speak by the Spirit
23. prophets
24. prophet, angels, Son of Man coming
25. devil, angels, when did we see you? 
26. angels
27. prophet, curtain tore, earth shook, rocks split, tombs opened, dead arose
28. angel, risen, appeared, Holy Spirit

In fact, I found only 8 chapters in the New Testament that don’t talk about something uncomfortably spiritual. Here are highlights by book:

• Matthew – angels, dreams, baptize in Holy Spirit, tempted by devil, healing, deliverance, prophets, raise dead, demons, miracles, power
• Mark – baptize in Holy Spirit, tempted by Satan, angels, healing, deliverance, demons, raise dead
• Luke – angels, filled with Spirit, prophecy, baptize with Holy Spirit, tempted by devil, anointed, healing, deliverance, raise dead, power and authority, demons
• John – baptize in Holy Spirit, angels, miracles, healing, signs raise dead, devil prompted, Satan entered, Spirit guides, power
• Acts – Spirit instructs, power, filled with the Spirit, tongues, signs, wonders, healing, struck dead, angels, prophecy, deliverance, baptize in Holy Spirit, raise dead, visions, demons
• Romans – spiritual gifts, signs and wonders, crush Satan, prophetic
• 1 Corinthians – spiritual gifts, power, angels, Satan, demons, prophecy, tongues, interpretation
• 2 Corinthians – Spirit’s life, Satan, power, visions, signs, wonders, miracles
• Galatians – angel, revelation, miracles
• Ephesians – Spirit of revelation, filled with the Spirit, devil’s schemes, flaming arrows, pray in the Spirit
• Philippians – fellowship of the Spirit
• Colossians – power, present with you in Spirit, songs from the Spirit
• 1 Thessalonians – power, Satan, presence of God, gives Holy Spirit, prophecies
• 2 Thessalonians – angels, prophecy, signs, wonders, evil one
• 1 Timothy – handed over to Satan, devil’s trap, angels, gifts, prophecy
• 2 Timothy – gift of God, devil has taken captive, power, evil attack
• Titus – renewal of the Holy Spirit
• Philemon – grace be with your spirit
• Hebrews – angels, signs, wonders, miracles, gifts, power of the devil, healed
• James – demons, resist the devil, prophets, healed
• 1 Peter – power, angels, imprisoned spirits, gifts, devil prowls
• 2 Peter – prophecy, carried by Holy Spirit, angels
• 1 John – children of the devil, test the spirits
• 2 John – antichrist
• 3 John – 
• Jude – angels, devil, pray in the Holy Spirit
• Revelation – prophecy, angels, living creatures, power, demons, devil, Satan, signs

The point is, the New Testament is full of spiritual experiences. Christianity is, at its essence, not of this world. It’s supernatural.