Signs That Follow Believers
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. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. Mark 16:17-20 (KJV)
Signs follow believers. Actually, signs follow those that believe in Jesus and believe for the signs. Signs are to follow believers; believers are not to follow signs. Believers follow Jesus, and as we do the works that Christ did, we accomplish His works and even greater ones. This is because Jesus sent us Holy Spirit and He goes with us, confirming His Words with signs following. Signs in the Greek is semeion, which speaks of wonders, miracles, the finger marks of God, God’s person and power made known. Follow means to accompany. Signs, wonders, miracles, and other manifestations of God accompany those Christians who believe for them. Signs are God’s signature, evidence of the approval of God on the proclamation of His Word.
Cast Out Devils
Jesus cast out devils in His earthly ministry. He is the Head and we are His body, so He expects us to do what He does. In Acts, His followers cast out devils )Acts 5:15-16; 16:16,18; 19:11-12). Today we can do the same.
Speak With New Tongues
We are to speak with new languages, or tongues. Tongues are a sign to unbelievers that God is real. It is evidence that one is filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). On the day of Pentecost 120 people were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. That’s how they knew they had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We see this pattern throughout the Book of Acts. God wants us all to speak in tongues (I Corinthians 14:5), but it is a gift that must be received (Luke 11:13).
Take Up Serpents/ Drink Any Deadly Thing
This speaks of divine protection and our authority over demons (Luke 10:18-19; Acts 5:15-16, 16:18, 19:11-12). we don’t purposely handle snakes or drink poison just to prove a point. This would be tempting God, which Scripture tells us not to do (Luke 4:11). However, if we are bitten by a snake or somehow manage to ingest a poisonous substance, we can claim divine protection from any harmful affects. We can also pray over our food and drink, asking God to bless and sanctify it for our use.
Lay Hands On The Sick And They Shall Recover
Jesus laid hands on numerous sick people and they were made well. we can do the same thing. we see examples throughout Jesus’ ministry and through the Book of Acts (Acts 3:1-7, 8:7, 9:33-34, 14:8-10, 10:28-29)
Preach The Word And Signs Will Confirm It
Just as the early church obeyed Jesus’ great commission to go out and share the Gospel, so must we. As members of the body of Christ in the last days, we must go forth and expect signs, wonders, and miracles to accompany us to confirm what we preach (Acts 2:43, 5:12, 14:3, 19:11). We can know that when we speak the Word of God, signs will follow.
