Why I Pray for Signs and Wonders

Imagine you're a disciple of Christ. You seen Him on earth, you ate with Him and spent time with Him. People started to associate you with Jesus as Peter was associated with Him. Jesus dies and is then resurrected. He's then seen by over 500 others (1 Cor 15:6) before ascending to heaven. After Pentecost people start to preach the crucified Christ. The evidence for this story is that the people who preach this message lived their lives along side Jesus. Some of the Christians were eye witnesses to the risen Christ but despite this the Holy Spirit still chooses to accompany their preached word with signs and words to testify to the validity of that word (Acts 14:3). You would have thought that the accounts of 500 spectators would have been sufficient to convince the unbelieving world.

God goes further than us. Why should we stop seeking signs and wonders to accompany the preached word? We shouldn't. Paul was rich in theology and miracles. He understood the purpose of both. God sometimes uses signs and wonders to testify that we are preaching the real gospel. We must expect more.

Together On a Mission 08- Driscoll: Spirit Led Missions

Last week was the annual New Frontiers Conference Together On A Mission. I went along to enjoy the teaching, worship and fellowship. Had a great time. My highlight? It had to be hearing one of my favourite living preachers Mark Driscoll. NF really did well in getting him to come.

For the Mobilise section of the conference (students and twenties) Driscoll preached three times on an amalgamation of Church planting and cultural topics in order to enhance a passion for mission and vision for church planting.

He began on Tuesday afternoon by praising New Frontiers as a movement for their work. Driscoll considered his visit as a gift. He showed humility in wanting to learn from the example of NF. This reminded me of Paul's attitude in Romans 1v 11-12:

'For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established- that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me'

He went on by giving 5 errors that Charismatic's are prone to fall into. Driscoll reckons that NF are safe on the first four and lack on the last.

• A worship of the Holy Spirit rather than worshipping Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit
• A focus on Pentecost rather than the cross
• A falling into the health and wealth (prosperity) gospel
• A worship of the movement leader
• A lack of speed in planting churches.

Driscoll believes that NF need to train more young men to be leaders, give more money to church planting (he suggests 10% of the income of every church should go to church planting), and as a result more churches. Instead of planting just over ten churches a year Driscoll suggested that NF should be aiming between 70 and 100.

Driscoll went on to define the term 'being Spirit filled' by working through Luke's gospel and the second half of Luke's gospel- The book of Acts.

Being Spirit filled means:

• Wanting/doing Proclamation (Luke 1v49)
• Expecting the Supernatural (Luke 1v35)
• Doing Ministry (Luke 1v15, Acts 1v8)
• Having seasons of solitude, silent prayer and fasting (Luke 4v1-2)
• Obedience. Christ obeyed in His humanity by the power of the Spirit. 4 actions of the early church -Teaching, Fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer (Luke 3v21-22, Acts 2v42)
• Loving/Doing Teaching (Luke 4v14-16)
• Loving people (Luke 4v17)
• Rejoicing (Luke 10v21)
• The proclamation and action of repentance (Acts 2v38)
• Seeing Conversions (Acts 2v41)

He argued that 'too often Spirit filled [is seen today as] doing and being active then contemplative'.

Being in awe of Christ is the essence of what is to be Spirit filled. Not being shocked and amazed by His majesty quenches the Spirit and so diminishes the work of Spirit led missions.

My response to the message: Give me more of the Spirit! Forgive me Jesus that my heart isn't attracted to the work of missions as it should be. Give me vision because 'Where there is no vision, the people perish' (Proverbs 29v18).

I left the room renewed, touched and convicted by God through a man that has a such a heart to show people the relevancy of the gospel.