“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My Name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” – Mark 16:17-18

Years ago, I attended a T.L Osborn crusade in Kampala.  On the final day, I watched with utter consternation and amazement a miracle of a lame girl in both legs instantly standing up on her two feet.

Now, I didn’t merely hear about it; I witnessed the miracle ‘live’ with my own two eyes given that the girl was only meters away from me.

From that day on, I became an unshakable believer in miracles, signs and wonders. I completely shudder when a person claims that miracles don’t happen anymore!

I am almost sure that many of the believers reading this right now have also had personal experiences that may be described as nothing but supernatural interventions of God. Indeed, our God is the Almighty God of miracles, isn’t He?

Our meditation verses today come from a portion of Scripture where our Lord Jesus was talking to His disciples shortly before He ascended to heaven. His statement that “these signs shall follow them that believe” is emphatic.

I particularly like the word ‘shall’; He didn’t ‘may’ or ‘could’; He said “shall,” which implies that it is mandatory that signs must follow the one who believes.

There are four categories of ‘signs’ in this context: Casting out demons; speak new tongues; taking up serpents; not being harmed by poison and healing sick bodies. 

Casting out demons implies exercising power over the demonic forces that operate in the supernatural world. Speaking new tongues implies the ability to compress or eliminate the amount of time required to learn a new language.

Harmlessly taking up snakes implies not being harmed by naturally occurring hazards. Not being harmed by poison implies being delivered from malicious man-made perils.

Laying hands on the sick implies having power to neutralize the effect of bacteria, viruses, and pathogens that cause infections and disease to the human body.   

Of course there are people who argue that signs and miracles no longer happen.  However, there is also ample evidence both in the Scriptures and experience to show that what Jesus said is not only true but also important and significant to the Christian life today.

But how on earth can anyone claim that the living God no longer performs miracles and wonders? Is God dead?

Nothing brings honour to God more than allowing Him to display His power by intervening in the affairs of men for His own glory.

Signs, wonders, miracles, and the supernatural are manifestations of God’s power, which serve to confirm the truth of the Gospel and the authority of those who proclaim it. In the Bible, the prophets, Jesus and the apostles performed many miracles to demonstrate that they were servants of the living God.

Secondly, signs play a confirmatory role, as demonstrations that accompany spiritual preaching and teaching to validate the message being proclaimed.

They help to authenticate the authority of both the messenger and the truth of the Gospel. That validation helps to draw people’s attention to the divine message being preached.

Thirdly, as my case was at the Osborn crusade, witnessing signs and miracles can strengthen the faith of believers and encourage them during difficult times. They serve as reminders of God’s presence and His ability to intervene in the daily lives of His people.

Fourthly, signs and miracles do also serve as powerful evangelistic tools, drawing people to faith in Christ. When people witness the supernatural power of God at work, it can lead the skeptics and critics to a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.

Lastly, miracles and signs give a glimpse into the reality of God’s kingdom in the spiritual realm breaking into the physical world for the glory of His Name.

They show that God’s reign is not just a future hope but a present reality, where His power is at work transforming lives and circumstances in this present age.

Against that background, there should be no doubt whatsoever that signs do play a crucial role in Christian life and ministry.  

But it is also worth remembering that Jesus said the “signs shall follow those who believe,” and not that the ‘believer shall follow signs.’

Sadly, some people with ulterior motives have become so desperate for signs and miracles that they’ve ended up concocting and fabricating or ‘manufacturing’ them with the aim of hoodwinking the people of God. 

I contend that nothing dishonors God more than dubiously deceiving people that God has ‘performed miracles’ whereas not.

Conversely, nothing brings honour to God more than allowing Him to display His power by intervening in the affairs of men for His own glory. All it takes is to believe that He is the sovereign Lord to whom nothing is impossible.

May the Lord help us to be those “who believe” so that His signs and wonders can be manifested through us in our various spheres of influence for His own glory and praise. Amen!