These Signs Will Follow

August 17

“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; (18) they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover,” Mark 16:17, 18.

Our God has made great and precious promises (see II Peter 1-4). There have been times and places where these affirmations of His presence and power in the behalf of His people have drawn souls to the Savior. This truth was discovered by a young scholar who did research in the archives of many churches in Europe. As he delved into the history of each church at its inception, he discovered that a major move of the Holy Spirit had preceded the establishment of each of them.

But not everyone who is touched by the Spirit of the Living God desires to see Jesus lifted up when the Holy Spirit moves. In Acts 8:9-14, we are told the story of Simon the sorcerer. Here it says:

“Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, ‘This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.’

They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.”

Simon was astonished by what he saw. Indeed, as a sorcerer, he understood trickery and he knew the power of the evil one who had enabled him to dupe the people. When he saw real, raw power, he wanted it.

Acts 8:15-24 goes on to say, “…When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, ‘Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’

“Peter answered: ‘May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart, for I see that you are full of bitterness and are captive to sin.’

“Then Simon answered, ‘Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.’”

Simon’s initial motivation seemed to be a desire to have the Holy Spirit’s power within him in order that he might continue to demonstrate supernatural abilities to the people around him for his own gain. As Peter said, Simon was attracted to the power of God but his attraction was motivated by his captivity to sin.

When Simon considered Peter’s charge to repent, however, he knew the Apostle’s words were spoken in power and he begged that Peter would pray for his deliverance. Like Simon, many of us are attracted to the power we seen in men of faith and we like the opportunity to associate with them. Like Simon, however, we must repent of any self-oriented motivation and allow Jesus to make us spiritually clean vessels within whom the Holy Spirit may make His abode.

Before we can be tabernacles of the Holy Spirit, we must allow Jesus to be on the throne of our hearts. When He is, He will employ the gifts He’s promised as they will glorify His own holy name.

We will not be part of the equation; we will not seek our own glory. Our only desire will be that demons release their captives, tongues be spoken in truth, anything that assails God’s people will be rendered impotent, and the word of faith will heal the sick and set the captives free—that Jesus may be lifted up in the hearts and minds and lives of lost and dying men that they may become alive in Him.