Signs and Wonders
Date: May 14, 2025
This week’s missionary letter is from the Mills in Scotland. It says, “Dear Pastor and Prayer Warriors, thank you for your prayers for Mr. Elliott. Sadly, he passed away on the 1st of March. We do not know if he accepted the Lord before his death. But his daughter did find every Christmas card and tract that we had sent to him over the past 30 years in a drawer next to his living room chair. Only eternity will reveal if he believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.”
“We recently took part in a well-being fair. We were able to hand out tracts, Gospels of John, sweets, and toys with scriptures on them. Please pray these would be read and people would accept the Lord. We’re also going to be going out to other towns and having a table with tracts in various pieces of literature. In May, I will be teaching in the life of Paul at Baptist Bible College of Great Britain.”
“Some will be present and some will attend online. Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support that allow us to continually spread the gospel here in Scotland.”
And in fact, I was talking with Brother Bill Jr. right before church and he said Scotland is such a godless nation. They hate God over there. So let’s pray right now for the Mills that God would just give them something special so that way they would see more come to know God and that God could do revival over there.
Good to have everybody here on a Wednesday night. I’m honored to see everyone here. Honored to have a guest with us today. Appreciate you coming. That’s great. And good to see some guests back and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to be a Savior last Wednesday night. Good to have them back tonight. That’s a blessing. Good to have them back tonight. That’s a blessing. Good to have Jacob here and Mandy. Do you pray for that? That’s great.
And if you need a prayer request card, one of those shares in front of you ought to have that. Get that, fill that out, pass it down to the aisle.
And I tell you what, can we get Bill Sr. up here to lead us in prayer here just a minute. He’ll read over those and lead us in prayer over those. And appreciate Brother Bill Senior heading up the jail ministry, and just faithful at that. It’s his passion. I like it. He’s always about that. Praise the Lord. Lord, I appreciate it very, very much. We’ll get those cards gathered up and get them over to him in just a minute.
Two weeks from tonight, we’ll have a Bible college group of—it’s actually a group of men and ladies that will be singing for us two weeks from tonight. Make sure you’re here, bring someone with you that night. It’ll just be a grand, grand night. It’s always a little bit encouraging. You’ll see young people living for the Lord and planning, preparing for the Lord. So you’ll enjoy that. Be here. That’s the 28th, that Wednesday night, they’ll sing for us. And one of them with them will preach for us. It’ll be a good night. And so I hope you’re in your place for that. Don’t forget about that. That will be a wonderful, wonderful evening. And looking forward to that.
If you’ve got yours filled out, passed down the aisle there. We’ll get them gathered up. And don’t look like we have too many tonight. Or maybe you’re still—we’ve got a couple. We’ve got a couple. And Ms. Jennifer says, “I’m writing as quick as I can.” Looking over that way, it is Brother Tim’s birthday tomorrow. So birthday. Yeah, birthday wishes. So I know. We got you anyway. Praise the Lord. Ms. Stoner, keeping me on track about birthdays. Happy birthday to Brother Tim tomorrow. That’s great. And Ms. Nancy Hamilton, they’ve been out of town a lot. Her birthday is on Friday. You might want to send a text or something over there to them and that would be great.
But good to have it in the Lord’s house in the middle of the week. This is right where you ought to be, and just about the middle of the week. There’s those people just there and excited about you being here. God working our hearts tonight. And let’s pray. Don’t just listen to him pray. Let’s all be praying with them these requests. I mentioned Sunday night, I mentioned it, but would you pray for the church? Do you have a request there? We’d have another teacher and more students in our school. And then for their building, I mentioned Sunday night. The Ministry Builders did back out. We still got our contractor. They’re still there. And God’s going to see this thing through. But we want to pray. We were hoping and counting on Ministry Builders. And we—in fact, the leader of it, he says, “I want to help,” but he’s given us a list of others and whatnot. We’re working on, but pray about that. It’s amazing when we were trying to purchase that property, it just seemed like we were spinning our wheels. And then when the church people started praying about it, that’s always just amazing. We say, “Hey, 7 o’clock and whatnot,” and boy, that’s when we gain territory, just the prayers of God’s people. So let’s pray about those, if you would, please. I’d appreciate it very much, and appreciate it with Bill Senior coming.
He is 39 and out-sewing most of the times. He’s not 93 now, you know. But Saturdays often, he’s out there. And praise the Lord for it. Brother Bill, would you come to lead this, please? You’re going to say, “Turn that around,” but we better not, huh? 93. God is good, isn’t he, all the time, right? This is the first one. God is good all the time. All the time. All the time.
So we have a prayer request from Tim and Jennifer here that Jamie, wisdom with Aunt who has had dementia. Pray for her. All right. Joel and Jody Powers, praise God for spring weather. Amen.
And Tammy Harris, that the body would not reject her new—oh, that’s the lady we’ve been praying for, the heart patient—that also her kidney functions will be restored. The Johanans, all four of us are traveling this weekend. We’re going to be going to our nephew’s wedding, and we’re going to be going to our original church we grew up in, and Billy is a young man. Went there, First Baptist Church, Knox, Indiana. And just a lot of good memories there, good preaching. So I’ll be praying for us traveling mercies.
Marlon and Stace. You could see Stace die? I call her Stace. Let me explain why some of you wonder why I call her Stace. It goes back, but bear with me a little bit.
I call her Tracy a lot. I’m sorry, Tray. Everyone swallows. Huh? And one time I said she looks like a beautiful Jewish lady the way she dresses, you know, out in New York. I think she was offended. Yeah. Oh, man, I’m in trouble again. That’s again. I’m in trouble with my wife all the time. You’re digging a deeper. Just talk, right? Just talk. So anyway.
God’s lost family members. Let’s go to the Lord in prayer tonight.
Turn your Bibles, if you would, Acts chapter number five. Acts chapter number five. We’re singing that first song about our mansion in heaven. And I was thanking, praise the Lord, there’ll be no maintenance up in heaven. And there’ll be no skunks. If there are skunks, they won’t stink. How has had skunk issues here lately? We’ve had some of that here at our church. And then the other night, I don’t know why I’m getting off on this. My wife’s going to be like, “Paul won’t tell a lot of stuff,” but she woke me up in the middle of the night. She said, “It smells like a skunk right outside our window.” And, of course, our outside, Dixie was out there battling. And so the next morning we’ve seen Dixie from a distance, and she—you could tell she had rubbed all over in the dirt and everything. She gets sprayed. She’d been sprayed so many times. She’ll just rub all over to get it off.
But it was around our house the whole smell, so we opened and, you know, the glass door back there and that. Well, you know, we didn’t smell anymore. So she didn’t get sprayed. She just thought she got sprayed. Well, the smell is kind of cleared up around the house, and you just get Dixie. She did get sprayed. Amen. So anyway, we won’t have skunks like that in heaven is what I’m trying to get after. You know, the mansion in heaven, you won’t have all those problems. And no electric bills, amen, no mortgage bills, no taxes. Come on now. I mean, now we’re getting somewhere. Amen. That’s a good deal. I got a mansion over the hilltop. Praise the Lord for that.
Acts chapter 5. We started the first part of Acts chapter 5 last Wednesday. We’re just studying through Acts. A little bit more of a Bible study on Wednesday night. And we talked about this couple, this married couple, Ananias and Sapphira. You remember those? They—
Before them, there had been this fellow that had sold a land. He owned some land, probably had his own house, but he had a land, some land, and he sold that land, and he brought all of it in and gave it to the early church. Anybody remember his name, his first name, if you will? Anybody remember that? Remember good? Remember his first name? John says, good. And then the apostle’s kind of nicknamed. He was just a—
Barnabas, right? And God used Barnabas so greatly. But now this couple here, they thought, well, look, everybody’s paying attention to Barnabas, looking up to him. So they sold their property for $100,000. We don’t know how much. And they brought in $60,000 and laid it out the Apostles’ feet. Everybody can see that. Look at us. And then they turned around and said, “Well, we gave every dime of what we sold to the church.” And you remember what happened? Peter said, “Why has Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?” That’s significant. Talking about lying to the Holy Ghost.
We talked about it last Wednesday because remember the temple, they were meeting in the temple, but that no longer was the true temple. Where was the temple at now? Yeah, our body, right? And you’ve lied to the Holy Ghost. You look—your body is this temple and all of that, but you’re lying to these other Christians and the Holy Spirit lives inside of them too. And why and Satan fill that heart of the Holy Ghost? And very sacred. Remember we looked up that verse, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.” That’s the strong words. Wow. And both of them died and maybe just set example, what not, the early church and the shift there.
The temple was in the body. But now we’re getting right past that, all right? Just reviewing a little bit, see how awake you are. And good deal. We’re in verse number 12, Acts 5 and verse number 12, all right.
If you would, would you stand, please, if you’re able to, just to show the Word of God respect. We try to do as much as we can, showing it respect. Acts 5 and verse number 12. Anybody tired out there tonight? I thought maybe. I used to have a guy come years ago. I used to say, “My tards are hanging out.” Maybe you’re tired of your hang out tonight. And so let’s just whisper a prayer for energy, amen, and hunger for to get something out of the Word of God tonight.
Acts 5, verse number 12: “And by the hands of the apostles”—remember the apostles were—“many signs and wonders wrought among the people. They were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.” That was a section right there in the temple, outside of the inner part of the temple, but there in the temple, Solomon’s porch. “And of the rest, durst no man joined himself to them, but the people magnified them, and believers were the more added to the Lord multitudes, both of men and women, insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and on couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.” Wow.
“There came also a multitude out of the cities roundabout unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits, and they were healed every one.”
Wow, pretty amazing. Brother Josh, probably just getting old, the sign of my old age or something, but could you give me maybe a little bit from the monitors? I just—I need to get those hearing aids. My wife said, “Amen,” I heard that over there. Doctor said I couldn’t hear it. I know she did, but I couldn’t hear it, you know. But the doctors say my hearing is going in certain ranges. Wow, I can hear myself now. And I think my wife says it’s in her range. My hearing is going. So thank you, Brother Josh. That’s plenty. Maybe a little bit too much, man. I got to get used to it. But it is good. Thank you very much. Let’s pray.
This is amazing. I mean, many signs and wonders. People are getting healed so much, literally. Let’s just take the Bible for what it’s saying right here. Healed so much by these apostles that they would put people on couches and beds and taken by the roadside where the apostles were passing by.
Must have been so many people who were after the apostles. I mean, you’ve been healing. “Hey, I got an uncle’s sick. I got this, I got that.” And they’re laying them beside the road that they’re thinking, “All right, the son’s going to be in this position right now,” just hoping that maybe, maybe the shadow of Peter would heal people. Now, there must have been a lot of miracles going on for people—I mean, the everyday people—to think that. Wow. I mean,
And then so much so that the cities around there up in Antioch and Gallatin and, you know, Clarksville and Woodbury and all these cities around there, they’re bringing the sick people are coming out by droves because the word is getting out. People are getting healed. And all these multitudes come there and every one of them got healed. Wow. I don’t know about you, but I like to say that happened.
That’s in the Bible. We don’t want to know what’s in the Bible. I don’t want to twist the Bible. Can I say this? Let’s be real about it. That is not happening in our day and time.
I mean, they can have all these faith healing meetings they want to. By the way, it isn’t insane just years ago, but they built a faith healing hospital. Now think about the irony of that. I mean, if it was truly healing people by faith, they would be closing hospitals down. Literally, they’re asking you donate money so we can build a faith healing hospital. You don’t need a hospital if you’re truly healing people.
HCA—my wife would be out of a job, you know. They’re putting the hospitals out of business. I’m just teasing, you know, no longer down, you know, all this. She didn’t work at the hospital anymore, but she’s still a nurse. But anyway, they would go to the clinic she worked at, just heal them all, and her boss would fire her. And Brother Bill will be mad, you know. But that’s not happening at any end time. Let’s be real about it. I can hit people over the forehead and talk about all they want to, you know, but it’s just—
This is not happening. So how do you rectify what’s going on here? We don’t want to deny this was truly happening in the Bible. It was. But it’s not happening today, and we’ve got some great Christians. So what’s going on? Let’s try to look at this thing a little bit tonight. All right, yeah, we’ll be here. How do you explain this in the Bible?
Well, let me mention this right off the bat. You can really divide the spiritual gifts into two categories, all right? You know with me here for a minute? Just take with me for a minute here. Some of those spiritual gifts are for today. We’ve did spiritual gift studies and tests and all. It’s wonderful to kind of know how you’re wired in the Lord.
How many think you have the gift of a prophet? I mean, you’re just all about truth, truth, truth, truth. You don’t care if you hurt anybody’s feelings. You’re just focused on truth. You don’t have to raise your hand. Maybe. How many of you are a mercy show-er? You’re just, “Who cares about whose fault it is? I want to show them mercy.” And an interesting, you know, a prophet and a mercy show-er. Wow. You know, that’s why they never see eye to eye on things, you know. But all these were just gifted, and those are prevalent in our day and time.
But then there are what we often call sign gifts or gifts that were in the apostolic age. Now when I say the apostolic age, I’m talking about the age, the time when the apostles were living. Did you notice what he says there? And we just read it in verse number 12, verse number 12 right there, Acts 5.
“And by the hands of the what?” Apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the apostles. Now, not than anybody else, nobody else did. Some or others did, but for the most part, this is the apostles that are doing these sign gifts during the apostolic age. Some others, but during the apostolic age, you find it very prevalent.
These gifts. Now something else about these sign gifts or gifts during the apostolic age when the apostles were living: they were given for a sign to the unbelieving Jews before the Bible was complete or before the end of the apostolic age.
What do we just read there in verse number 12? We just read it, verse number 12 again here briefly. “And by the hands of the apostles were many…” What’s the next word? Signs. The Bible is saying that for a reason. There’s many, many of them.
Look over, if you will, in 1 Corinthians chapter number one. First Corinthians chapter number one. And we’re just going to pull one verse out. You could go before and after and whatnot. We’re not going to twist it. We’re just going to get this one point real quickly tonight for a second time. 1 Corinthians 1:22. When you’re there, would you say, “Amen?” Good deal. Good deal. Verse number 22: “For the Jews require a what?” Sign.
They’re all about that. Greek seek after wisdom. Now he goes on and he says they didn’t always work out right, but the Jews are just always about these signs. How many times was Jesus, “Show us the sign, show us the sign, show us the sign”? You just heard that often.
Look, if you will, look at one of those. Look over in Matthew chapter number 12, Matthew chapter 12. And this is the one that we often hear about, Matthew 12 and verse number 38. You don’t stick with me if you is more teaching, if you will, on Wednesday night, but hang with me here if you would. Matthew 12:38: “Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees”—those are the ones typically they didn’t want to believe in Jesus, oh no—“answered and say, ‘Master, we would see a sign.’” From the Jews were all about these signs.
But he answered instead of them, “An evil and adulterous generation.” Now some will try to put a number on generation—40 or 70, 100. You’ll hear all kinds of different numbers put on the generation. I don’t know that every single time it means the same thing. Well, this generation of people right here, these scribes and Pharisees, this generation, and even adulterous generations seek it after a sign. And there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah.
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And behold, a greater than Jonah is here.”
I was talking about Jesus, of course, here. Here’s the thing. He said, “This generation right here, the only sign that’s going to be given to you is the death, burial, three days and three nights, and resurrection of Jesus.” Now, that really marked a change. Now, that generation, if you will, all right, that’s it, that’s it.
By the way, for the most part, those scribes and Pharisees, even when Jesus died, they’re crucified and crucified. But now you’re ending that time period, if you go, and you’re entering into the Apostolic Age. That’s why often the Book of Acts is called the Acts of the Apostolic Age.
Now, there’s a lot of signs and wonders. We just read about it by the Apostles. See, this generation is done. Now we’re entering in the apostolic age. By the way, we mentioned these sign gifts are during the apostolic age or when the Bible is complete. We’ll talk about that in a minute. By the way, remember, who is the last one to write or pen the Bible? John, the last living apostle. See? And he’s the last one around 80, 95, and penned the book of Revelation. He’s the last. And so,
We got this generation of this time, the apostolic age, where you got all these signs that are being done. Jesus said you’re going to get one sign: I’m going to die and be buried and raised again. That’s to these Pharisees and scribes, evil generation. But now during the apostolic age, you have all kinds of signs and wonders being done. Many, many of them.
By the way, you’ve got Jewish people coming. Remember we’ve studied it, the Day of Pentecost? Remember that? Fifty days after Jesus died and rose again. And they got this Pentecost, it’s a Jewish religious festival. And people are coming from all over. It listed 15 different languages. So you’ve got all these Jews coming from all over the world. They’re coming to Jerusalem for the Jewish religious festival. And what happens? God gives them a sign. A sign gift. What’s that? Tongues.
Look back over in Acts chapter number two. Acts chapter number two, excuse me, Acts chapter number two. And look at this thing. We don’t want to exaggerate it, but we want to be honest about what Scripture teaches here. And if you look at Acts 2 and look down if you would, and I’ve got to cover it up. I’m trying to uncover it real quickly. Acts 2.
And look in verse number 6. “Now when this was noise abroad”—what? The tongues? I mean, everybody’s hearing in his own language. Look at that last phrase of verse number 5: “out of every nation under heaven.” Jews are coming there. Devout men, they want to know the truth.
“Now when this was noise to braw the tongues, the multitude came together and were confounded because that every man heard them speak in his own language.” Man, it’s a sign, man. Everybody’s, wow. They’re gathering all over the place coming to Jerusalem. Look at this. Man, everybody’s hearing their own, all these different languages. Everybody’s hearing in their own language.
Look at verse number 43. Verse number 43: “And fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.” By the way, what happens? About 3,000 people saved and baptized. Man, it’s awesome. It’s the apostolic age.
Remember when Jesus said, “Believe on me, the works that I do”? And greater works, it was fulfilled for him. John 14. Yeah. And boy, just amazing things are happening. It’s wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
Look in—oh, where we’re at here. Look in 1 Corinthians 14:22. We’re just moving around here a little bit. First Corinthians 14:22. By the way, this whole chapter for the most part gives a lot of regulations around tongues. I think it helps in our age. I typically don’t argue with people about tongues. You just say, “All right, if you believe in them in our day and time, follow the regulations laid out in chapter 14.” That usually solves a problem.
Look at this, 1 Corinthians 14. Look in verse number 22: “Wherefore tongues are for a what?” Sign. Yeah, we’re talking about these sign gifts. Much of them were done during the apostolic age. It was amazing. Tongues was one of those.
We’ve already studied about it in the weeks prior, but in chapter four, remember Peter and John, they go to the temple and there’s this lame man laid at the gate called Beautiful. He could not walk from the time he was born. Now he’s over 40 years old. Remember Peter gave that classic preacher answer—every preacher says, “Silver and gold have I none.” Ever preachers, they ain’t got no money, you know, at least they say that, you know—“Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, rise up and walk.” Man, this guy leaped up and starts leaping around and man just dancing around about you. Whoa! And what happened? People come from all over. Signs and wonders! All these Jewish people! Five thousand saved! Wow! It’s the apostolic age. Things are happening. It’s wonderful, wonderful time.
We just read right here in chapter five. We just go back over there if you will. Let’s just kind of take it for what it says. Chapter five, verse number 12: “And by the hands of the apostles”—I mean, you wanted them to lay hands on you, maybe they’re here curious of something you don’t have right now, you’re going to have, who knows, man. I mean, you won’t lay hands with—“by the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders wrought among the people. And they were all of one accord in Solomon’s porch.”
“And the rest durst no man join himself to them, but the people magnified them.” They said, “We don’t want to play church now. We don’t want to be a Pharisee now. Man, this is a real deal. Miracles are happening.” That’s what’s going on. “And the believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.” I mean, signs and wonders being done all over the place. Everybody’s getting coming and getting saved.
Verse 15: “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.” Remember, “There came also multitudes out of the cities roundabout unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folk, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits, and they were healed.” What’s the next two words? Every one. This is amazing. This is what the Bible teaches. This is going on, folks.
Benny Hinn, this is a real deal here, you know. It’s happening. But it’s the apostolic age, friend. I want you to realize that. And that’s so important to see that so we don’t get out of kilter about what’s going on here. Even later on, just real quickly, look over at Acts 19 real quickly here. Just a couple more. I think you’re getting the gist of what’s going on. Paul, he’s an apostle, born out of due time. And even Paul, God worked through him in a great, great way. Look in Acts chapter number 19. And look at verse number 11. Acts 19 and verse number 11: “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul, so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”
How many ever heard, “Well, you send in your $29.95, come on, your seed money. Come on now, y’all”? I’ve heard it before. “And we’ll mail you this handkerchief, and Brother so-and-so has prayed over this. He sweat. He blew his nose on that handkerchief.”
You hear that’s what’s going on in our day and time. Now, did that happen somewhat in the Bible? Yeah, it did. It really did. I mean, just sometimes just to hang—I mean, it’s amazing. By the way, God’s able God. He’s a powerful God for him. I’m not trying to make light, and we’ll get to it later on here, of what God can do in our day and time. But I do want to be obvious, friend, that’s not happening today. And don’t fall for the facade. It’s just not. And these are special signs and wonders and gifts that God gave to the early church and the apostles. He’s working through them in mighty, mighty ways.
I can read other places. Paul and Barnabas over in Iconium, Acts 14:3: “And speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of His grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.” Philip the evangelist over there in Acts 8. Remember he meets that fellow in the chariot there. When he’s being baptized in Acts 8:13: “And Simon himself believed also when he was baptized and continued with Philip.” Give us another place later on as where he’s with the Ethiopian eunuch. This before—and um—but when he was baptized, he continued with Philip in wonder, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
I’m just saying it was what’s going on that day and time. It was prevalent. Paul is talking to the Corinthian church. Look it up real quickly, if you would, 2 Corinthians 12:12. And I just—I think we’re—I don’t want to belabor the point, but I want you to see this was truly happening during the early church, the apostolic age, the sign gifts. It was just amazing. I love it. I love it, but I want to be honest about where we’re at today. And I don’t want to hinder the testimony of the Lord by being dishonest or trying to use that to my advantage.
Second Corinthians 12, look at verse number 12. 2 Corinthians 12. Paul, speaking to the Corinthian Church: “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs and wonders, and mighty deeds.” He’s trying to tell them, “Hey, I’m an apostle,” as you’ve seen the signs and wonders and mighty deeds and all. Even the book of Hebrews later on, speaking to the Jewish people, remember that, speaks of it. Hebrews 2:4: “God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders, and with diverse miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will.”
I’ve been on it for a little bit, but this is truly happening in that day and time. But can I say it’s like this: It is not happening in our day and time. And these sign gifts, they ceased when the Bible was completed and the apostles had passed off the scene. We’re not in the apostolic age anymore.
Look, if you will, over in 1 Corinthians chapter number 13. First Corinthians chapter number 13. Y’all stick with me here for just a bit. Chapter number 12 of First Corinthians talks about the gifts very much, the spiritual gifts. Chapter 13, the first part, the love chapter we call it, and then chapter 14 really deals with tongues specifically. So talked right in the midst of the context of these gifts. Chapter 13 of First Corinthians, and look in verse number 8. First Corinthians 13 and verse number 8: “He says, charity never faileth.” That’s a statement and a half right there. Wow. I often call charity just very deep love. I think sometimes our love is very shallow. I’m talking about me. Charity is just—it vaunteth not itself, is not easily provoked. It’s never thinking about itself. It’s not his own. It’s always about the other person. It’s very deep love, charity. And he says, “Charity never faileth.”
“But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Watch this: whether there be tongues, they shall what?” Cease. This sign gift. “Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” By the way, be careful. He says, “Well, I got all kind of knowledge.” If we’re not careful, knowledge, he says one place, “puffeth us up.” They don’t care how much you know till they know how much you care. And he says, “That’s going to vanish away.” Watch what it says: “For we know in part and we prophesy in part.” Well, they didn’t have a, you know, a Bible and everything like we have. They would have revelations, and that was going on during that time. You got a special revelation. You got some knowledge. Be careful that. That’s going to all fall apart.
“We know in part and prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect is come.” He said, “What’s perfect?” Well, what does he say over there in Psalm 19? He said, “The law of the Lord is perfect.” What’s the law of the Lord? The Bible. The Bible. What’s the law of the Lord? The Bible.
Look over, keep your finger there for just a second. Over in James, if you would, and I know we’re turning a lot tonight. Look over in James, real briefly here for just a minute. James 1, and look in verse number 25. Hopefully you got more than eight fingers to put your fingers in all the different places we’re turning to that. Amen. You know, look over in James 1 and verse number 25. James 1:25: “But whoso looketh into the what? Perfect law of liberty.” What’s talking about the Bible. “And continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
What’s the Bible being perfect? What’s he talking about over here in 1 Corinthians 13 verse number 10? “But when that which is perfect is come.” What’s that? The Bible is come. “Then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
We don’t have this in part. We’ve got the complete revelation of God to mankind, the Bible. It’s perfect. That’s why over there in Revelation 22, by the way, the last—the last living apostle penned it. Remember that last chapter? A couple of those last verses. He said, “Hey, don’t add to it. Don’t take away.” It’s done. See? And that was the end of that apostolic generation.
Now we’ve got the Bible. The things are going to be a little different. We don’t have these signs—it’s all these many signs and wonders that we’re going on now. We’ve got—we’ve got something written that’s a whole lot better. I mean, your signs and wonders can get twisted. People can really abuse it. They’re abusing it in our day and time, not even happening. And it happened even in their Bible times, it—but friend, we got something in writing: the Bible.
And there was a change, there was a shift. Friends, someone said, “Well, we’re in a new apostolic age.” No, we’re not in a new apostolic age. They’re passed by. An apostle is someone that was with Jesus. They saw Jesus. We’ve not seen him physically. We’ve seen by faith right now. See? So, no, we’re going to—now we don’t need a new apostolic age. We build on top of the apostolic age.
Look over to Ephesians, and we’re going to move on here in just a second. Just look over here to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. And I want you to see this. What is—Ephesians 2 is a principle here we’re trying to get at. Ephesians 2 and look at verse number 20 here. Ephesians 2:20: “And are built upon the foundation of the what?” Apostles and prophets. All those things that we build on. We don’t need to replace that. They laid a good foundation for us, the apostles and the prophets. We’re not trying to undo that. We build on top of that. Now, Jesus Christ himself, he’s the chief cornerstone. But the apostles, they were the part of the foundation, the early church. And we build on top of that. Things are changed, see? Not the same.
By the way, when I try to act like there are these sign gifts going on our day and time, it hinders the testimony of the Lord. The Bible tells us that. One of the main ones often our day in time is this thing of the modern-day tongue movement. And 1 Corinthians 14 deals with it so very, very much. But let me read for you one verse, verse number 23, if you want to look it up real quickly. 1 Corinthians 14:23: “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?”
How many ever—well, I just said there. I remember as a boy, little boy, went to church. We didn’t have—we didn’t know. We went to church, and they spoke in tongues. I’ll be honest with me, it scared me half to death. Man, where’s my mommy at? Let’s get out of here. I’m a little boy, you know. I never forget knocking on the doors years ago in Laverne, and I knocked on a lady’s door, and she came to the door and she said, “Y’all speak in tongues?” And I want to say, “Well, we speak with our tongue,” you know. I didn’t say it. But I knew what she was talking about. I said, “No, ma’am, we don’t do that.” And I wasn’t being argumentative. She said she believed in Jesus for salvation, whatnot. So I’m not going to spend my time to argue with her. Well, you got to do that. You got to do that. And we were just a small startup church at the time. You got to do that. And all these things, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. Let me just get down the next road.
And I went to the next door, her neighbor—not my goal was trying to tell somebody about Jesus, try to get somebody saved—and I went there and I started witnessing to her. I can’t remember if it was her or him. I’m trying to remember. But I remember very much so what happened. But I tried to witness to them and they said, “Well, I went to church with my neighbor, but it was crazy. It was batty.” And you know what? I couldn’t really fully witness to her, him or her. There’s like, “I don’t want anything to do with it. That’s crazy stuff.”
And I was just trying to give it the gospel, Jesus Christ, salvation. So when I’m acting like this stuff is going on, it’s really not, and I put on a show. By the way, how many of these faith healers really hinder people believing there is a God that heals and answers prayers? That’s the part I want to get to just briefly here at the end. It is a different day and time, but God’s still doing miracles today for it. He still hears and answers prayer. It might not be in public, you know, like it was in—many signs and wonders for everybody to see. But I think of years ago, John Fontaine and just a couple of us men Sunday morning was together for having a prayer meeting on Sunday morning at the time. And we met in my little bitty office in one of the storefronts. He said, “My back is killing me. Would y’all pray?” And we had a little prayer meeting there. We were just praying for the church. We prayed for his back. Brother Fontaine after that prayer meeting, he said, “Man, I don’t know what”—he said, “Just something kind of”—he said, “I felt something a little different during that prayer meeting.” He said, “My back is totally better now.” I mean, God still heals. He said, “It wasn’t out in public for everybody. Hey, look at us.” You know, nobody didn’t brush their teeth for a month and then breathed them. They all passed out. That wasn’t going on, you know. But, yeah, but God still heals. He still does miracles, friends.
It’s not typically out, you know, for everybody just to see for signs and wonders per se. But, oh, he’s still moving. I can think of one instance that I think maybe would be true modern-day tongues. At First Baptist Church, Henning, right south of Chicago. They had all kinds of different nationalities, a larger church coming there. And often the preacher would say, “Hey, do I have a—do I have a Spanish-speaking”—so some people come to the altar. “Hey, do I have a Spanish-speaking soul winner? Do I have a”—you know, we had a man back of the day that could speak Hungarian. I’m half-Hungarian, so I remember he’d get, you know, all these different nationalities and the different soul winners. It was a Chinese lady. She really couldn’t understand, but she just felt drawn. And she’d come down in the invitation, and they wanted to give her the gospel. And the preacher said, “Hey, do we have a Chinese-speaking person?” Even if you’re not a soul winner, don’t know the gospel, just translate for us. That nobody could.
And so the altar worker said, “You know, I thought I might as well just try to witness to her.” And all of a sudden the lady could understand. And they shared the gospel with her. And she prayed. And after she prayed and got saved, she couldn’t understand again. Now, I take that, but it wasn’t out in front of everybody. Everybody said, “Look at us.” That moved today. He’s still moving today for it.
And sometimes this circus show stuff drives us away from using biblical practice. I remember Ms. Darlene. I remember Ms. Darlene, all just a sweet lady. And the tent we’ve used over these years, we were at the auction trying to buy that crazy thing. And I ran out of money. I was trying to, you know, church that set aside a certain amount of money. And she tapped me on the shoulder. And she said, “Preacher, keep bidding on it. I’ll give up $500,” and it took every bit of it. And we bought that tent, used all these years.
Ms. Harleen, a widow. You never think she had any money. But Ms. Harleen, she had a headache that just would not quit, just so intense. And she went to the doctor’s, and it’s the tiniest infection right up by your brain. They said, “Really, we need to do surgery, or else it’s just going to—it’s just going to kill you,” you know. But it’s so close to the brain, we’re afraid we’re going to mess things up. And so, and she just couldn’t get over the headaches.
And she asked, and some of the men, we took some oil and put it on the forehead, not to be seen of everybody, and prayed over her. And, you know, she never had another headache, never had surgery. God’s still doing miracles. It’s not out in front of somebody to see you and all that. But God’s still working today, friend. He’s just as capable today as he always has.
I think about this today. And sometimes he’ll just lead you to praise something. Years ago, my son—he’s 30 now—he was like 14, 15, you know, and he had that teenage cocky stage, you know, and, well, you know, and we were out visiting one night, me and my son, and I don’t know what it was. He was just in one of those moods. And so every time, every one of those moods take you off, anybody? I said, “Come on, y’all, be honest with me now,” you know. And I said, “Man, John, I’m thirsty. I would like some lemonade. I’m going to pray the Lord give us some lemonade.” And John said, “Wow. We ain’t got no lemonade, Dad. There ain’t no lemonade around here.” And I just kind of bothered me. I’m going to pray. God’s going to give us some lemonade.
Craziest thing in the world. I mean, you know, just—it’s honest truth. And we pray. He didn’t pray. I pray. Lord, you know, I’m kind of like, show my son you’re real God, you know. And the next place we visited, young couple, over these apartments over here by Stone’s River Baptist Church, those apartments right there. And we went inside. Young couple would visit her church. Went inside, and they said, “Y’all like something to drink?” So what you got? “We got some water. You got anything else?” They said, “We got some lemonade.” Amen. You know what about that, John? You know? Amen.
Oh, friend, don’t lose your faith. God still hears and answers his prayers. He’s still working. His hand is not shortened that it cannot save. He’s heavy than it cannot hear. He’s still doing—he’s still healing people. Not be in front of everybody, you know, in some circus show thing. But in his will, he can heal, and you put faith in that thing.
I just believe in God. It’s not like it was then, but he’s still working. We could go on. You could tell stories just like I could tell stories. I thought about our school, our little school, trying to start. We were trying to get the fire marshal’s approval. Oh, my goodness, you know, had to deal with the higher-ups in Nashville. We couldn’t get him to come out here. I mean, we tried to send him, you know, letters and emails and phone calls and, and they want to draw, and they’re trying to say all these things. Just come out, look at the place. We couldn’t get him here. And school getting closer and closer to the start of the school, you know, we had students signed up. We started off of a whopping five students in the school, you know, big school, but we were starting. And we just couldn’t—we just couldn’t get it approved. And you all prayed about it.
Boy, the prayer of God’s people. And the next little bit, Brother Frankie and Ms. Wanda were at Lowe’s. And, you know, they were looking for flowers or whatnot. And this man said, “Well, I saw this older, you know, southern couple. I figured they know a lot about gardening,” and he was going to start his first garden, I believe it was. And so he went, say, “Hey, can y’all tell me something about flowers and gardening and all that?” Brother Frank and Wanda, you know, you ask a lady that, oh, she’s going to tell you all about it. Ms. Wanda, she’s all about that gardening, whatnot. And they had great conversation. And Brother Frank looked over. He had a little jacket on, and on the jacket it said, “Fire Marshal.” Yeah, he came to us after God’s people prayed. Brother Frank, he went over, you know, if it’s posting—it wasn’t long. They’re calling me. Literally, the fire marshal is, “Hey, I have a man here. Brother Frank said to call you. Try to start a Christian school.” Boy, I sure am. That wasn’t a coincidence, friend. God’s still working.
I’m not teaching this trying to say God’s not doing anything our day and time. He’s doing plenty in our day and time. But it is different than it was—not out in public signs and wonders. But an old friend, he’s working today just as much as it was back then, just a different way. See? And don’t lose your faith that God can answer prayers. Greatest miracle God’s ever done is save us old—I mean, change your destiny from hell to heaven for all eternity. He’s hearing and answering prayers. He’s working. He’s working. Don’t lose your faith in that. He’s a little different than it was then. But he’s working just the same today, just a different way.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? Our heads bowed, eyes are closed. How long has it been since you’ve seen God answer a prayer? The Bible talks about that your joy may be full when God answers the prayer. Have you had answered the prayer? Have you seen God move in our day and time? Well, that’s past. No, it’s not past, friend.
I remember, and I could go on like you can, being down in my back, couldn’t get up and, boy, just prayed and prayed and praying. God, my back’s been so much better. Still have issue, but I can get up and function, do what I need to do. God’s still working. Have you had an answer to prayer? Are you believing when you’re praying? Are you trusting? Are you just going through the motions and you believe you’re really praying to God that hears and answers to prayer?
He is answering today. Would you stand? We’re going to have just a quick prayer. You’d just spend some time with him as the Lord guides you. Would you do that? Father, thank you. You’re still working. Forgive me, sometimes I lose my faith. I go through the routine. Oh, you’re a wonderful God. We’ve seen your work so many times. Lord, let me not ever get hardened to that. Hear our prayers tonight, Lord. Burn in our hearts that we serve a living, powerful, mighty God that’s working today. In Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Amazing sometimes just little answers. It means so much. But you know God did. No other way it could happen. God did. How many God things do you have happen in your life? How long has it been? Been a year? John Rice used to say, “A normal Christian life ought to have weekly answers to prayer.” Have you seen God work, move? Are you praying? Are you believing? Are you trusting?
Our son was little, so sick, so sick, wasn’t getting better, and had no insurance, didn’t want to take him in, finally had to. About to get him out of the back seat of the car, and, boy, we went to get him out of that car seat, and he just perked up. Wow, he’s been like that for days. Hadn’t perked up at all. Checked his temperature dropped. Yeah, just in the nick of time. God knows what he’s doing.
Let’s pray to a real God. He’s living. He’s listening. He’s hearing. A little different, but he’s still working. He’s still working.
Amen, amen. Let’s do something just to touch different. You don’t have to, but in our guest, of course, we don’t want to push into anything. But if you would like to, maybe—but we’re going to pray before you leave if you’d just share something God’s maybe a miracle God did for you. Sometimes it just builds your faith. Maybe when God came through financially for you, or your heart was just—one time my heart was just broken and just broken about something and just, you know, God over time—it’ll take time. Boy, God just boom, just instantly. My heart was—I was like, “Wow, I’ll never forget that.” I was over it. But maybe just share something God did for you at some point in your life, maybe recently, maybe years ago, just share with a neighbor. It’ll encourage them, it’ll encourage you to share what God’s done for you. He’s still working today. He’s still working.
Let’s pray. Would you, if you’d like to, you don’t have to, but just share. Just share something God’s done for you. I think it would encourage and build your faith in your neighbor also. Let’s pray. Father, thank you for your goodness. Bless this time. Lord, your being in remembrance the things you’ve done so many times. I forget them. Forgive me, Lord. Remind us of the many, many things you’ve done for us. Answers to prayer. Bless these few minutes as our people leave. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - Wednesday ＂Signs and Wonders＂ 05⧸14⧸2025 [1g33Ry-6b6w]