Sign Language

Jesus tells His disciples in John 14:11 that they should believe Him based on the miracles from His ministry. He didn't just come saying that He was the son of God and the Messiah, but He preached the Kingdom with demonstration of the King. When John the Baptist was having an internal struggle in prison he sent his own disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah even though John himself had said that Jesus was the Lamb of God. The response Jesus gave in Matthew 11:5 was that "the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor."

If that was the standard that Jesus carried then why shouldn't we do the same? In John 14:12 He tells the disciples that they will do greater works than He did. Jesus made it clear to the disciples that their mission was not to preach at people and get them saved but rather it was to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, and cleanse lepers (Matthew 10:7-8). Jesus never intended for us to argue with people and try to convince them with our words. We are simply to preach the gospel and do the stuff.

Jesus even said in Mark 16:17-18 that "these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." Are the signs accompanying you? Since I am not about lowering standards so that I can pass them I will use the example of Matthew 11:5. Do the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the dead come back to life, and those with skin conditions healed?

While in Michigan I realized that the more breakthrough I get in healing, the more I become hungry for greater breakthrough. Many deaf people were getting healed but there were others that had not gotten healed. There was a blind woman at one of the meetings but I didn't get to pray for her and I don't believe she regained her sight. The lame did walk, but not all of them. I prayed for one man who hasn't had legs in many years and he did not receive a miracle. Do we really believe that these signs will accompany us if we believe? I think sometimes we forget to uphold the standard.

(Someone has a problem with their left ear. Open in the name of Jesus!)

Sometimes we struggle to speak the language the others need in order to receive the gospel - and I don't necessarily mean that they don't understand English. They may have arguements that we don't always have answers for but when signs follow you it is a language that all understand. When they experience the power of God it speaks their language and confronts them with the truth. I am becoming much more proficient in sign language so that in all circumstances signs follow me. I rejoice in the man who took out his hearing aids yesterday morning and said that he didn't need them any more, but I know that if I can't communicate every sign then the language of the Kingdom may not be expressed.