Author and Pastor Ron Craig
Notice that in Mark 16:17, the Lord promised that (supernatural) signs will accompany believing ones, BECAUSE JESUS WILL BE WITH US BELIEVING ONES until the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Notice as well that those signs are to accompany believers, not only the original twelve apostles. That promise does away with the modern teaching that miracles were designed to be limited to the early days of the church, and even then to Christ’s original twelve trainees. Several New Covenant passages demolish that theology, for we read in the book of Acts that two DEACONS, Stephen and Philip—Acts 6:8 and 8:6—did miracles. Paul and Barnabas both performed miracles (Acts 14:3), although they were not of those original twelve. But, to clinch that truth, we need a number of Bible passages, not indirect observation, or theological speculation. Christ said in Luke 6:40 that the disciple is not above his Teacher (Jesus), but the one who is perfectly trained will be like his Teacher. That qualifies more than the original twelve for miracle-ministry. John 14:12 also hits that proverbial nail right on the head: “Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me will do the same works I do; and greater works than these will he do; because I am going to My Father [to send back the Holy Spirit to help the believer do the same miracles I did].”
Still another Scripture portion backing that Bible Truth is Acts 2:33, 38-39. Peter, in explaining what the temple crowd heard and saw when the Holy Spirit descended on the Day of Pentecost, assured the crowd that the Holy Spirit, Who had caused those sounds and sights, was a gift from God to them as well. Thus, when 3,000 of the hearers were baptized on that day, they surely had the same Holy-Spirit-experience as the 120, who had received the gift earlier (supernatural languages). Next time, more Bible promises and commands to the church; all of which enable believers to solve many of the modern world’s painful problems.
(If you are not a committed member of some other Christian fellowship, you are invited to visit Living Way Fellowship at 2041 County Road 73, in Killen area. From Killen, going north on US 43, turn right on County Road 73 and go 2 and 1/2 miles. We are on the right. You can’t miss the sign out front—Living Way Fellowship. Sunday 10:00 A.M., Wednesday 7:00 P.M. Ron Craig is the pastor, teacher and Christian book author. Contact us at ronwritercraig@gmail.com, or log onto our church website at www.livingwayfellowshiponline.org.)
