“And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues.”
Mark 16:17 NIV
What a joy it is to be with you again for this month’s DISCRNR’s Exhortation Podcast! Today the Lord led me to a promise I want to share about today:
Signs will follow you, not just in the future, but today.
Recently I’ve walked us through a whole series titled, “Deceived While Yet Anointed.” We looked at Samson and how the key to his anointing was not his hair, but the Nazirite vow behind it.
Even after Samson was left blind and grinding in the last years of his life, his hair grew back. The supernatural strength of the Lord returned, and in one final act against the pillars of the temple, more of the enemy was destroyed than in all the victories of his life before.
Today I want to build off this talk more about the mercy of God and the gifts and callings He gives us.
The Same God— a Thousand Expressions
One of our key scriptures today is 1 Corinthians 12:4–7:
“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.”
Notice that word “diversity,” which can also be translated “differences” or “varieties,” appears three times. A diversity of gifts, but the same Holy Spirit. A diversity of ministries, but the same Lord Jesus. A diversity of activities, but the same God the Father who empowers all in all. The whole Godhead is here.
We are not a part of a cookie-cutter religion. You get to discover your own distinction and uniqueness in the body of Christ, and that requires relationship.
The Shoes in the Vision
Years ago, before meetings, I would see shoes in a vision. Each pair helped me know how the ministry time would go.
One pair told me it would be a corporate manifestation, and I would simply say, “Come, Holy Spirit,” and He would come. Another pair meant people would be in lines for power encounters, falling in the Spirit. Another belonged to one of my mentors, and I knew it would be a seer anointing.
And then one time I saw a pair I did not recognize. I found out it was mine. I learned that if you are faithful in what belongs to others, you will be given your own gifts to steward. The shoes I saw for myself were for prophetic intercession, where I could pray and the burden of the Lord would come upon people without touching anyone.
A distinction, a variety that was given to me by God to be my own.
Signs Follow. They Don’t Lead.
Mark 16:17 tells us:
“And these signs will follow those who believe.”
Notice it says signs will follow. Sometimes you don’t even know the full effect of what has been accomplished, precisely because the signs come along behind you. So you keep going forward, with your eyes on the man Christ Jesus.
Paul testified the same way in Romans 15:18–19:
“For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient — in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”
Sabrina, in a City That Had Never Heard
Let me tell you a story. I ministered in Albania right after communism lifted. After equipping leaders in the capital, they took me up the coast to a city called Shëngjin, “Saint John,” where they believed the apostle John had ministered. This was Illyricum, where Paul had preached. No one in modern history had preached the gospel there. No churches, no synagogues, not even a mosque, only a community building.
Standing on a cliff overlooking the city, I cried out, “Lord, what do You have for these ancient people?” But when it came time to speak, there was no worship band, no warm-up. It was just me, a translator, and a friend. The atmosphere was thick, the day dark and rainy. I began by sharing about God’s heart, and I didn’t feel like I was getting very far.
And then a name floated through my mind: Sarah. I turned to my interpreter mid-message and asked how to say it in their language. “Sabrina,” he said. So I declared it: “There is someone here named Sabrina. She is thirty-two years old, and she has never heard the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.” I had nothing else, so I said it again. Then: “Where are you?”
A woman with dark hair and a thick winter coat raised her hand. I had her come to the front. “You are thirty-two years old.” She was. “You have a tumor in your left breast.” She did. “And Jesus wants to heal you.” The presence of God came down upon her. Everyone there knew this was a supernatural empowerment, not witchcraft or false mysticism.
Then the Holy Spirit landed on two old women on the front row, and I called the spirit of witchcraft off of them, and they were delivered. The presence of God fell on the whole meeting, and people streamed to the front because they wanted to encounter Jesus.
The Chariot in the Rain
Afterward, my helper, my interpreter, and I stood out in the rain at night with no place to stay and no transportation. A car finally came and picked us up. We got in and my mind flipped into revelation from the book of Acts, when Philip got into the chariot. I knew, like Philip, we had stepped into another divine appointment.
As the man drove us, through the interpreter, I shared about the woman at our gathering earlier. I said God knew her name and her age, and that the Lord had shown me she had a tumor in her left breast.
As I told the story, the driver began to shake. He was steering the car and vibrating under the power of the Holy Spirit. I continued and shared that her name was Sabrina.
This moment was truly a divine appointment, because as I continued to share, I learned this man was Sabrina’s husband. He also came to faith in Jesus that night.
The Gifts Are Given So We Can Give Them Away
The gifts are not for us. They are given to us so that we can be like God and give them away to others. God wants to love others through us.
As we walk with Jesus, I sometimes wonder if we should peek over our shoulders to make sure the signs are tagging along! The entire ministry of Jesus confirmed that He was the Messiah through the signs that followed and He wants to confirm His word with signs through you, today.
Hebrews 2:3–4 says it beautifully:
“This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.”
Don’t miss the end of that passage. Signs include not only the big things, like raising people from the dead, but also the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit.
You Are Acts 29
If you’re new to the Bible, you’ll notice there is no Acts 29. The record stops at chapter 28. But that does not mean the Acts of the Spirit ceased or were ever meant to end.
You are to continue them. You are Acts 29. You are to live out your version of Romans 15 and Hebrews 2. We are the Acts 29 generation.
The gifts of the Spirit are like a rainbow. There is no clear line where one color begins and another ends. Rather, there are overlapping shades. He is a creative Holy Spirit, and He wants to work in you and through you for the sake of others.
Signs will follow you.
A resource I want to share with you as you step into this is my book Standing Strong in the Anointing: Discerning the Traps and Embracing the Blessings of Supernatural Encounters, along with the Understanding Supernatural Encounters Study Guide and Releasing Spiritual Gifts Today.
I am so grateful to share with you today. You can watch the full podcast video of this week’s exhortation below.
God bless you!
James W. Goll
