MARK 16:20

The Bible informs us about the apostolic church: “And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following” (Mark 16:20). They saw themselves as God-called evangelists and missionaries. They saw themselves as ambassadors and representatives of Christ. As they obediently went forth and preached everywhere as they were mandated, the Lord went everywhere with them, not so much confirming them but confirming His Word.

Isaiah 55:11 powerfully accentuates this. It states, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” What an encouragement to us, commissioned to go and speak on His behalf. It is our unshakeable understanding that the revealed God of glory shall confirm His Word. He shall give approval to; He shall ratify; He shall sanction His word. As we go preaching and witnessing, we should confidently expect signs and wonders to be displayed and demonstrated, in confirmation to the word.

The unconfirmed word is many times ineffective and impotent. It falls flat and is, in many cases, somewhat unproductive. Maybe it is about time for the twenty-first-century church to be praying more intently about more signs and wonders to accompany the preaching of the Word. Jesus specifically said, “And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17, 18). May we begin praying and expecting according to His promised word.

The signs signify the confirmation of His Word. They always point and only to the power and presence of Jesus. They indicate that He has put His stamp of approval, His signature, and seal on His spoken and written Word.

Today, we certainly advocate and push for a more educated constituency of believers, but we can never place a higher premium on degrees and titles than we place on the irreplaceable power of the Holy Spirit in our midst. We cannot help but acknowledge that there is unparalleled eloquence and excellence that come from the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit, that all the powers of untrammeled darkness can never match. There is a power that comes from the Spirit-realm that all the degrees from the institutions of higher learning can never confer.

The apostolic Early Church stayed on mission 24/7 – in church and out of church; in the temple and outside the temple; at home and in the streets. They simply walked in the power, promoting, advertising, and exemplifying Jesus wherever they went, and they were not disappointed. “And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following” (Mark 16:20). May great signs and wonders follow our present-day ministries!