"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will be made well." Mark 16:17-18

Today’s text assures us that miraculous works will follow those who believe. Jesus promised His disciples that they would do even greater works than He did. That is an astonishing declaration considering that Jesus gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk, healed every manner of disease and even resurrected the dead! Our human minds immediately begin to try to reason promises such as these away, but Jesus said -"If you say to this mountain, ‘be lifted up and cast into the sea,’ it would happen if you did not doubt."

There are whole Christian denominations that believe that the age of miracles died with the original Apostles, but it only takes one miracle to prove that theory wrong. Personally, I have witnessed so many miracles it is impossible for me to consider such a concept.

We should prayerfully consider that to not believe God is to sin against Him. Most sins contain the element of unfaithfulness and Hebrews says that without faith it is impossible to please God. People do not ask because they do not believe God will deliver. People do not repent because that do not believe in God’s wrath or they do not believe that He will forgive them. Many more people believe in heaven than who believe in hell, but both are a reality whether you believe or not.

Some have trouble believing that God would perform a miracle for them because their hearts condemn them. There is a loop playing in their mind which constantly reminds them of the imperfect life they live. They want to obey and please God but often seem to do the very opposite and live with a sense of failure. One of my hero’s of the faith is the Apostle Paul. Paul struggled with the same thoughts. In Romans 7 he wrote that though he agreed with the will of God in his mind, he often found that he did the very thing that he hated. But even in this Paul glorified Jesus for saving him from himself and stated that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.

It will help us to remember that God performs miracles for two basic reasons. Because He loves us and is compassionate toward us, and for His own glory, confirming the promise of His Word. Jesus was beaten for our healing, so when we are healed it is a reward to Him. Let us also consider that when Jesus heals one of His saints He is healing an ailing member of His own Body. May Jesus receive the reward of His suffering.

"But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." James 1:6-8

God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah when Sarah was 65 years old. Sarah’s womb had been barren her whole life and yet now pass menopause she was expected to believe this promise. When God initially gave this promise to Abraham Sarah was carefully listening from inside her tent. When she heard what seemed like a ridiculous promise she lost control and laughed. This did not escape the Lord’s notice but when He questioned her she denied it.

Year after year went by and yet Sarah did not conceive. She just couldn’t seem to believe that God was able to fulfill His promise of a son. According to the Scriptures it was 25 years later when Sarah was 90 years old that she conceived the promised child.

You might ask what took God so long? But God would answer with the same question, -"What took you so long to receive and believe the promise?" Hebrews 11 tells us that Sarah received the ability to conceive when she believed. Sarah did not believe when she was 65 years old but did finally believe when she was 90 years old. As today’s text says -without expectation no one can receive anything from the Lord. The Bible says that without faith no one can please God, for we must believe He will do what He promises.

Man often thinks this way, -"I will believe it when I see it." But God thinks this way, -"You will see it when you believe it." Sometimes we must be willing to abandon reason and accept miracles and healing just like we accept salvation. It is not about feeling or seeing, but about God’s faithfulness to His unchangeable Word.

As Paul wrote -"We walk by faith, not by sight." Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not yet seen. By faith God spoke all creation into existence. God is able to speak into existence anything and everything we ask, no matter how impossible it seems. God works best in the realm of impossibility, because there is nothing impossible for God,- if we will believe, we will see.

I’m so glad that God has such a good sense of humor. Sarah laughed at God’s promise of a son yet rather than chasten her He commanded that she name her son "Isaac" which means "laughter." Every time that Sarah called her son she was reminded that she once laughed at what seemed to be a ridiculous promise from God. Let us learn from Sarah and never limit God’s power to deliver on His promises.