More than Preaching and Teaching

I believe the gospel should be accompanied by the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost, working wonders and proving the gospel is true.

Paul boldly stated, “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4, NKJV). The Greek here means “with proof.” Paul was saying, “I preach the gospel with proof. God and the Holy Spirit are backing me up with signs and wonders.” Hebrews says that God did confirm Paul’s message. “God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will” (Hebrews 2:4). 

The New Testament believers had one prayer: “That signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:30). These apostles went everywhere fully preaching the gospel. “Many wonders and signs were done through the apostles” (Acts 2:43). “And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. …And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Acts 5: 12,14).

Here is one of the most conclusive of all verses proving that a fully preached gospel must include the evidence: “They stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands” (Acts 14:3). The apostles first ministered for a long time, preaching grace and repentance. God then allowed signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

God’s last-day believers will go “out and [preach] everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs” (Mark 16:20). That is what God envisions for us.

The miracles will be genuine, indisputable, undeniable, and yet they won’t be well known. Instead, they’ll come from the hands of ordinary, holy, separated people who know God and are intimate with Jesus.

This small, prepared army of faith will emerge from the secret closet of prayer with no other desire than to do the will of God and glorify him. They will be fearless and powerful in prayer. They will open entire nations for the gospel, and God will confirm his word through their actions.