Signs and Wonders

Acts 5:12-16 

12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.

Windypeg

Winnipeg resident coined the nickname Windypeg for the city of Winnipeg because of the undeniable existence of strong wind in the city.

Wind is such a formidable force that humans grudgingly accepted. It’s a reality that we cannot prevent or even minimize the existence of a strong wind. Although naked eyes cannot see the wind, a very strong wind leaves its marks. A sensible mind cannot deny the presence of a strong wind even if no one can see it.

The presence of wind testifies that a great someone, we call God, has created it. Interestingly, the word “spirit” is also translated “wind.”

The Spirit of God is much stronger and more powerful than the strongest wind. Just as the invisible wind leaves its marks, the Holy Spirit is also invisible and reveals His active presence spiritually and physically.

1. Spiritual

12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 

The apostles performed many signs and wonders that people in Jerusalem had observed. According to Bible scholars, signs and wonders were the signature of the original Apostles. Signs and wonders helped the people distinguished Christ’s apostles as leaders.

Normally, people would like to know their credentials when they chose leaders. The apostles have no high credentials to show, [education or social status], but they were highly regarded by the people because of the signs and wonders they performed.

Ironically, v.13 says that no one dared to join their group, although they were highly regarded.

13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people.

Perhaps, it might have something to do with the death Ananias and Sapphira. Ananias and Sapphira instantly died when they lied to the Holy Spirit. However, in v.14 it says that more people were added to their number. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number

Although, people did not want to join the group, more people became believers in Christ. There was a spiritual transformation because the Holy Spirit regenerated people.

Evangelism during the first century was very easy because of the Holy Spirit was active. The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and did not struggle to testify about Christ. The Apostles performed signs and wonders because they were filled by the Spirit.

The apostles did not say, “Let’s make signs and wonders to promote our church.” They did not event think, “Let’s make flyer for people to come and join us!” The disciples obeyed Christ’s command to wait and be filled with the Holy Spirit. As they went on to their daily activities, the Holy Spirit empowered them to testify.

Throughout church history, Christians have been constantly challenged to share the gospel. With much training on how to share the gospel, we are still hoping that we can be more effective in witnessing just as the first church had experienced.

The 1st century disciples found it easier to witness because they followed Christ’s command. They did not have any organized Christian institutions or no mega churches to pattern their church activities. They were the pioneering church and they depended so much upon the Holy Spirit.

It has been preached that we need to serve the Lord but not many have responded. To serve the Lord with joyful heart, first, we need to know Him whom we serve, personally.

Going to Seminary

“Why did you come and study in the seminary?” the professor asked his students.

“To be equipped in the ministry,” a seminarian answered.

“To learn about mission because I want to be a missionary,” another responded.

“I want to enhance my preaching ability,” a pastor claimed.

“I want to become a seminary professor one day,” the brightest student suggested.

Everyone had similar answer of wanting to serve the Lord.

At the back of the classroom, a very shy student bowed down his head in shyness. The professor asked him also to share his reason of enrolling in the seminary.

“I just want to know more about God, that’s all!” was his shy response.

We offer evangelism and follow-up trainings here in our church. Perhaps, some of the EE students joined because their friends have joined.

One can be very sincere to be trained and become expert in sharing the gospel. Spiritual conversion however, depends upon the work of the Holy Spirit.

The apostles and the first group of disciple have 3-year training under Christ Jesus. They did not have any sequential way of gospel presentation the way we are doing. They were more effective that all of us who were trained in EE because they obeyed the command of the Lord to wait upon the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

They were also scared that was why they waited for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit Himself reminded them what they have learned from the Lord.

During evangelism training or during Sunday School classes, our aim should be first and foremost, to personally know and obey Christ and be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Christ is active in our life when we see spiritual and physical evidences and signs.

2. Physical

15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.

Physical and spiritual sicknesses are the primary problems in the first century society. Those people tormented by impure spirit are also a problem these days.

When medical ideas have become modernized, there are also illnesses like depression, stress disorder, autism, down syndrome, eating disorder, amnesia, dyslexia, and many more. All those things that are not counted as physical sickness were considered in first century as being tormented by impure spirits. Even with advance medicine, even with the knowledge to identify such and such sickness, we still need the God who gave doctors and scientist wisdom.

Marriage or parental problems, career decision, financial uncertainties are but few of the many problems that our generation face everyday.

Why does a loving God allow believers to go such kind of difficulties in life? Why does it need to have blizzard during winter time?

Christmas Miracle

The movie Christmas miracle tells about a story of eight strangers stranded by blizzard.

There was an overnight blizzard and uprooted huge tree blocked the road.

Those eight strangers took refuge at an abandoned old church building.

There was a couple with financial problem denying their bankruptcy from each other. There was also a newly wed couple who came from their honeymoon. There’s a former choir director who gave up his dream of becoming a medical doctor. Still another couple cannot decide to separate or stay together although they acknowledge that they still love each other. The other person was a clergy whose wife died while giving birth to their son.

The couple, who were undecided whether to separate or not, have an autistic son. Their son cannot wait for them to go home so he decided to walk in the middle of the blizzard. The nanny reported to the parents that she did not notice the autistic child escaped.

All the other strangers, except for the woman who sprained her foot, went into the woods to search for the autistic child. The clergy started ringing the church bell and the autistic child heard it and walked to the direction of the bell.

One year later, the old church building was full of people for Christmas service.

The couple, who have financial problems, accepted the reality that they became poor and started anew. The parents of the autistic admitted that they became lax and negligent in their spiritual life which leads to their marriage failure. The story tells that they became one strong family again.

One thing that I learned from the movie is, when God allows calamities, blizzard, storm, or any kind of problems in life, the Lord wants us to focus on Him because He is doing something.

Do you believe that God still performs signs and wonders among us?

Seek to experience Christ more personally and watch for signs and wonders.

Do not stop asking Christ to reveal Himself to you through the Holy Spirit until you can personally see signs and wonders.

><((‘> … ><(((‘> tmec\2021 <‘)))>< … <‘))><

 

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