SHOULD BELIEVERS FOLLOW SIGNS AND WONDERS?

Signs and wonders may follow believers who obey. But are they supposed to follow signs and wonders? 

When believers preached God’s word, signs and wonders accompanied their preaching (Mark 16: 14-20). They did not intentionally seek signs and wonders. But as they obeyed God by preaching the Good News, signs and wonders spontaneously followed them. The purpose of these miracles was to attest to the reality and power of scripture. Signs and wonders were the by-product of their faith and obedience as they worked in partnership with God.

However, today, a different scenario exists. Big names and workers of miracles advertise their “services” and often make good money out of their ability to work miracles. Power, fame and money have become the name of the game. Naturally, crowds would follow them to get healed, be ministered to, and to learn the “art of working miracles”. Thus, miracles, power gifts, signs and wonders have become the main focus for some believers. Judging from the adulation these miracle workers receive, it seems that some have become demi-gods.

What is Jesus’ comment about the pursuit of miracles? Jesus warns: “A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 16:4).  http://bit.ly/1m0GVre

                                                                        

When believers earnestly seek the gifts rather than the Giver, they may open themselves up to deception by diverse spirits. Mesmerised by miracles, they may even be willing to compromise doctrine. http://bit.ly/1KnmRtZ

While we should earnestly seek the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1), this should not cause us to emphasise the gifts more than love, fruit of the Holy Spirit or the Giver. In our pursuit of spiritual gifts, we must not shut our minds to God's word and stop discerning as we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2: 12-13, 16b).

When Peter healed the crippled man at the temple gate, did he preplan the act? (Acts 3:1-10). Did he tell the crowds to come and observe him as he healed that man? Were there marketing teams to publicise the event? Did he become rich and famous out of his special anointing? Were there lights, camera, special music and ambience to “prime” people to receive healing?

Today’s pursuit of signs and wonders among believers is different from seeking God, praying and allowing Him to act according to His sovereign will. If miracles are released, we praise Him and give Him the glory. If not, we respect His decision.  We do not, in the flesh, try to “whip up” God’s presence—in a frenzy—like the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel. http://bit.ly/1Mmwxp6

In our quest for signs and wonders, we need to ask ourselves:

1. Have we shifted our eyes away from the true finishing line—Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2)?

2. Have we neglected other more important considerations? Such as servanthood (Mark 10:45), self-denial (Luke 9:23), love (John 13:35) and knowing His will (Ephesians 5: 17)? http://bit.ly/1Rw9OtL

3. Are we so fixated on signs and wonders that we forget what is of greater priority? Our eternal destiny, of course, is much more important than ecstatic experiences of miraculous  power—which may or may not be from God.  http://bit.ly/1MQpv1W

• “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

           (Matthew 7:21-23)

• Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

           (Luke 10:17-20)

                                                                      

So what is the difference between believers who are followed by signs and wonders from those who follow signs and wonders? The primary aim of the former is to seek God and not signs. For the latter, however, signs and wonders are put on a pedestal above other more important considerations.

                                                                             

HAVE MIRACLES CEASED?

It is beyond the scope of this post to discuss, in detail, whether miracles wrought by God have ceased today or not—or they were true only in the days of the early church.

If I may venture an opinion—if God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and the Holy Spirit lives within believers—how could miracles ever cease today? Those who think that the age of miracles is over—miracles have vanished completely—are trying to put God in a box. Perhaps they have drawn conclusions merely based on intellectual arguments and their limited experience of the supernatural realm.

That said, the scope, magnitude, quality and impact of the miracles that accounted for the phenomenal growth of the early church—and its resilience amid persecution—will probably not be seen again today. Rather, in these end times, we have to be wary about counterfeits from the dark side: False signs and wonders and false workers of miracles. http://bit.ly/1kLjwYF

                                                                       

To reiterate, miracles certainly have not ceased today though its scale probably cannot match that found in the early church. When we consider miracles today, we have to be vigilant against deception.

Cessationism and “charismania”, both of which are false, are on opposite poles of the ‘signs and wonders’ debate. One is too conservative. The other has gone off its rocker. The truth is to be found in the middle of the spectrum.  http://on.fb.me/1vnyXiK

EXTERNAL LINK

WHO ARE THE BELIEVERS FOLLOWED BY SIGNS IN MARK 16?

http://www.cnview.com/on_line_resources/who_are_the_believers_followed_by_signs.htm

MAIN SCRIPTURE TEXT

Mark 16:14-20

Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

RELATED POSTS

CAPTIVATED BY SIGNS AND WONDERS

Unaware that there are counterfeits in the spiritual realm, some believers pursue supernatural experiences. After all, they want to feel good—and discover what it is like to be zapped by power.

http://bit.ly/1PfLy3k

OBSESSION WITH THE MIRACULOUS—ITS DANGERS

Excessive preoccupation with signs and wonders has its dangers.

http://bit.ly/1TgCpsO

SHOULD WE EMPHASISE EXPERIENCE, DOWNPLAY DOCTRINE?

Some church leaders seem to support this premise: “Experientialism is the way to go; experience it and you will come to know the truth.”

http://bit.ly/1J0LRfq

GOING OFF THE MAP

For Bill Johnson and his followers, the presence of signs and wonders is more important than anything else—the more of the miraculous the better. Should believers be willing to “go off the map”—go beyond what is found in the Word—in order to embrace the realm of the miraculous?

http://bit.ly/1KnmRtZ

WHAT TRULY MATTERS IN THE END

What do you think is the true measure of a believer? Does it rest solely on how much anointing or power he or she has? Or how many spectacular feats he or she can perform?

http://bit.ly/1MQpv1W

FIVE MARKS OF AN AUTHENTIC DISCIPLE

How to distinguish between the important, non-negotiable characteristics of a disciple and the less significant traits

http://bit.ly/1Rw9OtL

MUSTARD SEED FAITH

Even if we have seed-sized faith, God can work miracles on our behalf. 

What does Jesus mean when He says, "If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move?"

 

                                                                     

Jesus was summoned by his disciples to meet the needs of a desperate man. The latter had earlier sought the disciples to heal his son who was demon-possessed. But they could not help him (Mark 9:17-29).

The man was desperate as his son had been seized by recurrent episodes of epilepsy since childhood. Which father wouldn't be? Sometimes the demon would drive the boy to commit self–destructive acts such as casting himself into fire and water.

The father cried out, “Please have pity and help us if you can!”

Jesus replied, “Why do you say ‘if you can’? Anything is possible for someone who has faith!”

Right away the boy’s father shouted, “I do have faith! Please help me to have even more.

I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9: 24).

In God’s scheme of working out the miraculous, the order is this: Believe first and then you will see.

Believe first. See later. Your feelings will catch up later with your faith.

                                                                   

And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could not we cast him out?” And He said unto them, “This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting.”

(Mark 9: 28-29)

Notice the parallel passage in Matthew which gives us another perspective:

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

(Matthew 17: 19-20)

Juxtaposing the above parallel passages in Mark and Matthew, we can infer the following:

• We need not fret when we just have a little faith to start with.

• We need to fast and pray to bolster our faith before we can move mountains—see God work miracles through us.

• Prayer and fasting show that we mean business with God, that we’re willing to persevere as we raise our petition to God (Parable of the widow and the wicked judge in Luke 18:1-8).

• We may have little faith but it is still faith. Sometimes we feel our prayers are just bouncing off the ceiling. But, nevertheless, we persist in prayer.

• Faith is like muscle. Faith has to be exercised, just like muscle. We need to trust God for little things and then move on to the next level of faith—trust God for bigger things.

• Faith is not something that’s nebulous and mystical. As we begin to exercise our faith in God for little things, we will come to understand the meaning of faith.

Does God ask for perfection from us before answering our prayers? No. Just remember this desperate father’s cry: “I believe; help my unbelief!” Did Jesus require perfect faith from him?

God answers us according to His will and our faith:

• “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24).

• “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).

• “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

Finally, when we pray, we need to pray with expectancy. Pray believing that what we’re asking for will materialise.

In Acts 12:5, when Peter was imprisoned, the church earnestly prayed for him. But did they pray with expectancy? No. When Peter was miraculously set free from prison and came knocking at the door, only the maid, Rhoda, believed. The believers, despite having prayed from Peter’s release, could not believe that it was Peter at the door. They told the maid, “You are mad. It is his angel” (Acts 12: 15).

If Jesus heard the heart’s cry of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:21-28) and that of the centurion (Luke 7:1-10)—both of whom were not in the category of the elect—how will He not hear the cries of His elect?

And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? (Luke 18:7).

                                                                      

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OVERCOMING CRISIS

Who or what do we turn to when crisis strikes? Where do we place our hope and trust?

http://bit.ly/1KkjyWP

FEAR NOT, STAND FIRM

When we face crisis, we need to realise that the battle belongs to God. We just need to stand firm in faith and act only at the appropriate moment.

http://bit.ly/1LlSmua

EXTERNAL LINKS

A lady lawyer’s amazing recovery from coma shows us that there is hope amid the worst of circumstances. Once again, it underscores the power of faith and intercession. God can do far more than what we might ask or think.

"Not one doctor who treated me while in hospital or subsequently any specialist that I have seen since, either in Hong Kong or later in Singapore, has been able to account for the speed of my recovery or that I was able to come back from that hopeless position at all.”

     - Lawyer Suzanne Chin

For the full story: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/lawyer-declared-brain-dead-wakes-up-after-calls-to-pull-plug-on-her?&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=addtoany

The above modern-day miracle challenges our notions of assisted dying. It reaffirms the fact that God alone has the prerogative to take life away—just as He is the giver of life—and men should not attempt to be gods.

“The decision to accelerate death is irreversible, and we may find out too late that it was made on the basis of erroneous assumptions—particularly as the full extent of brain damage might not be ascertainable whilst the patient is alive. There remains a lot which is not known about whether recorded mental activity or observable physiological responses can or cannot be equated to consciousness; about the possibility of cognitive recovery; and even about the likelihood of death. One of the landmark cases on accelerated dying in the US involved Karen Ann Quinlan, a 21-year-old woman who slipped into a coma after arriving home from a party. She suffered irreversible brain damage after experiencing an extended period of respiratory failure. The Quinlan family sought a court order for the patient's respirator to be removed, and the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in their favour. It was thought that she would die once the respirator was removed but Karen Ann Quinlan surprised everyone by continuing to breathe unaided. She lived on in a PVS until her death almost a decade later.”

Extract from “Euthanasia: A matter of life or death?”

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/euthanasia-a-matter-of-life-or-death

WHEN YOU BELIEVE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKaXY4IdZ40

"When You Believe" - Lyrics

Many nights we've prayed

With no proof anyone could hear

In our hearts a hopeful song

We barely understood

Now we are not afraid

Although we know there's much to fear

We were moving mountains

Long before we knew we could

Chorus:

There can be miracles

When you believe

Though hope is frail

It's hard to kill

Who knows what miracles

You can achieve

When you believe

Somehow you will

You will when you believe

In this time of fear

When prayer so often proves in vain

Hope seemed like the summer birds

Too swiftly flown away

Yet now I'm standing here

My heart's so full, I can't explain

Seeking faith and speaking words

I never thought I'd say

Chorus

They don't always happen when you ask

And it's easy to give in to your fears

But when you're blinded by your pain

Can't see your way clear through the rain

A small, but still, resilient voice

Says help is very near

Chorus