I have been told that I should supply a picture and biography for this book. Honestly the thought makes me uncomfortable. If this is an important part of Christian authorship then you have the wrong book. I assure you I am not an eminent theologian. The important question is, ‘Has the Holy Spirit found a willing vessel?’
When the disciples were interrogated by the theologians, the Scripture says in Acts 4:13, "Now when they beheld the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." When you read this book, I believe that you will see that I am qualified for the same reasons to be used by the Lord, for His "power is made perfect in weakness."
Once, as I was teaching a group of Bible students, one of them asked me why I didn't attend their college. I said, "If I attended your college I would be limited to study from the best that your denomination has to offer. If I desired to study what men have to say about the Word, I can go to the Christian Bookstore and study the best that history has to offer." Another then asked, "How do you then discipline yourself to study? We have to study in order to give answers." I said, "Yes, but only the answers that they want to hear. For me it is a gift. It is my desire to study. I don't have to be under a law."
When I came to the Lord, having never been a studious person, those who knew me were shocked because all I wanted to do was study the Word. A little later I studied the writings of the Reformers, Early Church Fathers and a few modern teachers. Soon that fad passed and I stuck with the Word and the Holy Spirit, finding them immeasurably superior.
May God bless you in your search for truth.
Honest hearts will be convinced from this book, if not already, that Jesus still does signs and wonders. They will also be convinced that God’s people who believe are still His chosen vessels through whom He will do this work. Our God is not heartless to watch mankind suffer under the curses around us without help. History continues to repeat. As it was with Israel, there is a fairly large section of Christianity that considers believing God for signs and wonders to be wrong. The reason for this is because they do not believe in the signs themselves or the true Jesus who commanded them, even in the face of millions of Christian testimonies to the contrary. The following verse is commonly used to support this error. (Mt.16:1) And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and trying him asked him to show them a sign from heaven. (2) But he answered and said . . . (3). . . Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot [discern] the signs of the times. (4) An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of Jonah. This was not Jesus’ answer to believers, but to an "evil and adulterous generation." They saw the signs and wonders that He did, yet they wanted another sign that He was who He said He was, so He gave them the sign of Jonah. What sign would benefit these people anyway? They rebuked Jesus and claimed that His signs were from Beelzebub. Their type says the same thing about signs through believers today.
The blind man, who had no seminary degree, but had been healed by Jesus, gave them a common sense answer. (Jn.9:30) . . . Why, herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence he is, and [yet] he opened mine eyes. (31) We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth. (32) Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. (33) If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. (34) They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. So it is with signs and wonders done by God through disciples today! According to this description, obedient servants sent by God do signs. I remember being criticized by the elders of a certain church for being presumptuous when a wonder was manifested through me. I thought, "How ludicrous. Do they think I did that?"
Honest hearts everywhere recognize signs and wonders are from God for the purpose of confirming His true Word. (Jn.3:1) Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: (2) the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him. Nicodemus recognized the signs of guidance, healings, deliverances, provisions, and miracles that Jesus had been performing proved He was from God. When Jesus was leaving, He told the disciples how to identify those who believed the gospel. (Mk.16: 15) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. (16) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. (17) These signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; (18) they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Notice that Jesus was not speaking of the signs of the first disciples but rather of the signs of those who would believe their testimony. Only later did He speak of the signs done through His first disciples. (20) And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.
Since it is not the experience of many to have their words confirmed by signs, they tend to change the doctrine of Jesus to a modern gospel that affirms their new methods. (Heb.13:8) Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday and to day, [yea] and forever. God still confirms His Word with signs through those who believe the true Gospel. If we change the Word we will not see signs because God confirms His Word not ours. Jesus is the only one who can give us the criteria of a believer. (Jn.14:12) . . . He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father. The only criterion to have signs is to truly believe on the Jesus of the Bible and not "another Jesus" of man’s creation. We must "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 1:3). Saints, search for the truth as it was given and doubt everything that you have been told by man. God bless you in the search.
