"We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long." —Psa. 74:9
Psalm 74 is a cry for the loss of Israel’s supernatural SIGNS of GOD’s Presence. The absence of their signs was evidence they had drifted away from GOD, and lost His favor, and unique identity among the nations. But hundreds of years later the promised Messiah came. And after the resurrection of Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit entered the world, and the NT Church was born with the supernatural Signs of GOD’s Presence flowing out from within it.
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"But you are a chose...
"We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long." —Psa. 74:9
Psalm 74 is a cry for the loss of Israel’s supernatural SIGNS of GOD’s Presence. The absence of their signs was evidence they had drifted away from GOD, and lost His favor, and unique identity among the nations. But hundreds of years later the promised Messiah came. And after the resurrection of Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit entered the world, and the NT Church was born with the supernatural Signs of GOD’s Presence flowing out from within it.
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"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may SHOW FORTH the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." —1Pet. 2:9
The Body of Christ was called the Church of Acts because GOD’S ACTS through its members were SIGNS that their life came from Heaven. The OT Signs that would come upon Israel when they’d obey the LORD. But these Signs flow from within us, and don’t just declare we’re the House of GOD, but that, God is in the house! The Signs of the NT Church tell the world who we are, and Who we belong to. Most church Signs today indicate what denomination they belong to and theology they serve. Most church signs today basically declare, “Thank You, GOD; we’ll take it from here.”
There is no scriptural evidence that God ever intended to turn His Heaven-Born Spirit-Connected Church over to an earthly institution. WE are to be Living Signs of what GOD is DOING, not what we’ve STOPPED DOING. Therefore until He returns These SIGNS of GOD’s Possession should flow from us. If we don’t see these signs today we should cry out in prayer to GOD for reconnection, until our SIGNS manifest once again.
#3 Speaking In Other Tongues –
”These SIGNS will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;..." —Mark 16:17
The Baptism in the Holy Spirt was the 1st Manifest SIGN that Jesus was going to continue His ministry through His followers. The 120 in the Upper Room were already “saved”. They weren’t there to get saved, but to Get Filled Before Going Out To Preach!
"And they were all FILLED with the Holy Spirit and began to SPEAK in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:4
Accompanying the Baptism in the Holy Spirt was the Sign of Speaking in Other Tongues. Speaking in Other Tongues didn’t result from the Arrival of the Spirit, but from Overflowing with the POWER of the Spirit. Tongues isn’t the sign they’d Received the Spirit. It was the Sign that they received the PURPOSE of The Baptism!! These 1st Signs of the Church of Acts were all about Filling and Overflow.
What makes people Really Talk? A FULL HEART
"The good person out of the good treasury of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury produces evil, for his mouth speaks from what fills his heart." —Luke 6:45
So this strange yet divinely ingenious Gift of the Holy Spirit facilitates a divine Dual Purpose: The ability to speak & operate beyond your vocabulary.
Purpose #1 is the edification of individual believers in their own prayer life…
"He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies (builds up) himself." —1 Cor. 14:4
"But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God…" —Jude 1:20-21
Being a New Creation in Christ, it takes GOD’s supernatural strength to lift your soul, to take hold of GOD, i.e. to pray effectively…
"…let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me;" —Is. 27:5
GOD knows that the spiritual strength needed to take hold of Him in prayer could not be limited to people’s minds. He knew our hearts needed a way to reach out beyond our mind’s ability to communicate…The ability to speak & operate beyond your vocabulary.
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." —Rom. 8:26-27
Purpose #2 is the that, coupled with the Gift of Interpretation Of Tongues, the two together produce Prophecy.
"Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying." —1 Cor. 14:5
ALSO, the use of Tongues + Interpretation is a SIGN to the unbeliever…(Tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not…1 Cor. 14:22)…Signaling that GOD is speaking through His Body. The SIGN of Tongues + Interpretation gives unbelievers an opportunity to witness the supernatural intimacy of GOD among His people, and believe the Gospel.
Tongues (like all other Signs) aren’t PROOFS for people who don’t want to believe, but EVIDENCE for people who do!
Tongues may be thought of by many as "the least gift", but it's arguably the most valuable of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit because it’s the only Gift used for personal edification. AND it aids the manifestation of the other Gifts.
Because of its value, this Sign is greatly resisted by the devil. Therefore let’s determine to obey Paul’s summation on the matter:
"Do not forbid or hinder speaking in tongues." —1Cor. 14:39
#3 Boldness –
There are 34 references to boldness in the Bible. 31 of them are in the NT!
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." —Acts 4:13
- When Peter and John were hauled before the same court, that only weeks before, had ordered Jesus’ crucifixion, boldness went with them.
- Boldness was evidence that people had been with Jesus!
- Boldness provides you the traits and abilities that your personality might lack.
- The SIGN of boldness, was evidence of the mighty Hand of God, lifting men and women far above the limits of their own courage.
- Boldness pushed Jesus’ fearful disciples out of the comfort of anonymity onto the public stage of GOD’s calling.
- And it was boldness that put the Spirit of preaching into their mouths.
- Under the SIGN of boldness, God uses ordinary people to open the prison doors of sin with the Gospel…
"And pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known WITH BOLDNESS the mystery of the gospel," —Eph. 6:19
The SIGN of boldness isn’t the attitude of self-confidence we see rooted in people’s ego. But rather the Convincing Confidence of Holy Spirit Presence that strengthens resolve.
"And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,…And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." —Acts4:29, 31
Boldness — (gk) par-rhay-see´-ah; all out-spokenness, i.e. frankness, bluntness, publicity; by implication, assurance: — confidence
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness (confidence) in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." —1John 4:17
Whenever a miracle or supernatural accomplishment was mentioned in the Book of Acts the SIGN of boldness was operating.
"And it came to pass (also) in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands." —Acts 14:1-3
Before risking big steps, the human mind wants favorable natural conditions, smart strategies, finances, and assurances of support. But GOD has given us the SIGN of boldness to help you keep up with the Holy Spirit!
Obey the Spirit of boldness and watch GOD do great things!
