Focus Scripture: 

"Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And 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.' After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it".                Mark 16:14-20 

Jesus knew that it would be very difficult to differentiate between His Church, which is a living spiritual organism, and a church that is a successful human organization built on a leader’s charisma or gifting. To do this, Jesus gave four specific signs that would enable believers to recognize His church from imposters. They are: 

• They will drive out demons;

• They will speak in new tongues;

• They will pick up snakes or drink poison and it will not hurt them at all;

• They will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.

A common misconception of this verse is that these signs are literal signs. If that were the case then to validate one’s faith it would be necessary for professing believers to hold deadly snakes in their hands and to drink deadly poison. Since that would be presumptuous sin, it’s obvious that these signs were not meant to be taken literally. In the apocalyptic style of Jewish prophets natural occurrences are often vested with symbolic value (e.g., all the OT major & minor prophets; Jesus teaching in Mt 24 & 25; Revelation, etc.). To discern their true significance one must understand the symbolism used in Biblical literature. Rather than being actual occurrences these signs are marks or tokens which validate a true believer from a spurious one. Now let us look at these signs from a spiritual perspective and see what they represent.

1. In My name they will cast out devils – SPIRITUAL DOMINION!

This sign speaks of the believers SPIRITUAL DOMINION over forces of darkness (see 2Co 10:4). Let us always bear in mind that when Jesus arose from the dead He conquered Satan, hell, death and sin! (see 1 Pet. 3:22 & Rev. 1:18, etc.)

All believers are vested with this authority because the same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in them. This power can only be used in the NAME OF JESUS! That means, that the believer must understand and possess the nature and character of Christ in order to use this power (see Ac 19:13-17). 

2. They will speak in new tongues. GODSPEAK!

The sign of “new tongues” here is not the “gift of tongues” that accompanies the initial baptism of the Holy Spirit. Those tongues are intended to assist our spirit man in communicating with God the agreement necessary to activate His power in the affairs of men. The “new”  in this context means : recently made fresh; i.e., a new way of speaking.

In his adamic state man can only speak from the context of the knowledge of evil. Therefore, everything is seen from a negative perspective. The overwhelming evidence of this is manifested in every media venue that man uses to communicate the state of his affairs. But in Christ believers are recreated, not only spiritually but cognitively as well. In other words, the thoughts of our mind have been renewed! Now we see things from the perspective of His will and purpose and since it’s God, it’s GOOD!  That’s why Jesus said that “new tongues” would be one of the accompanying things of our new birth.

These “new tongues” are not a new system of vocal sounds and combinations of such sounds to which meaning is attributed. Rather it’s human speech that reflects the faith and confidence one has in the nature and character of God. It’s what I call GODSPEAK!

Godspeak is spoken through human language. It’s not about phonetics or grammar, it’s about attitude and faith! It’s the way Christians speak that identifies them as citizens of the New Kingdom.  (Continued next week)

Questions For Personal Reflection:

1. Explain the difference between these signs and actual events. 

2. Why do the forces of darkness have to flee when you command them in the name of Jesus? 

3. What is GODSPEAK? 

4. What can you do to improve the way you speak? 

Remember

The Bible teaches us that we have been recreated in Christ's image and likeness. Therefore, He has given us everything we need for life and godliness.  The Holy Spirit is always available to enable us to live an overcoming life. 

Prayer Requests for the Week: 

Prayer is the very life and breath  Christ the King Church. It sustains the momentum of the church to fulfill our calling and destiny by releasing God’s anointing and power. Please take some time during your study to help us pray for current needs of our church. 

1. Pray that every man, woman and child who enters this building will experience the life changing love of Christ.  

2. Pray for the church and school in Cambodia.  

3. Pray for our Bishop as he seeks God’s will about how we should live out our mission and vision.

4. Pray for wisdom for Pastor Beninate and the other pastors and ministers as they lead the ministries God has given each of them.

5. Pray for the deacons and the rest of the staff as they support and help manage all the ministries that make up Christ the King Church.

6. Pray for our leaders in every branch of government, especially for the upcoming elections. 

7. Pray for all the churches in our community that we might be able to join together to reach this community with the love of Jesus.

Bishop and Pastor Beninate hope that you enjoy this short devotional Bible study. They recommended that you use this material as a reference for your family’s daily devotion and prayer time. 

Thank you for your commitment to this church body!