The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 16 April 2020 – TOPIC: THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT BELIEVE
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DATE: THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020
TOPIC: THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT BELIEVE
READ: MARK 16:9-18 (NKJV)
9. Now when [He] rose early on the first [day] of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.
10. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.
11. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
12. After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.
13. And they went and told [it] to the rest, [but] they did not believe them either.
14. Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
15. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17. “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18. “they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
THE MESSAGE:
The writers of the four Gospels recorded how Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection. She was formerly possessed and afflicted by seven demons but her encounter with Jesus changed her history: she became His follower and the first evangelist to proclaim His resurrection. Jesus can always rewrite our history for good when we encounter Him. The disciples did not believe the news about Jesus’ resurrection until when He appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief. Unbelief is doubt, the opposite of faith; its consequences are great such as external condemnation (verse 16). James asserts that anyone who doubts is unstable in his faith and cannot get anything from God. Secondly some Israelites did not enter the Promise Land because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). We need grace to overcome this cankerworm in our journey with God.
Can you see the manifestations of believing from verses 17-18? Those that believe will cast out demons, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, lay hands on the sick and they will recover and if they drink deadly poison, shall not be hurt. Indeed the power of belief is immeasurable. Have you experienced any of the signs in your Christian life? Note, these signs shall follow them that believe, so be a believer and not an unbeliever.
PRAYER: Lord, help my unbelief