More Signs

The question was posed as to whether or not we thought that there were more of Jesus’ stated signs, present on that Pentecost day. Perhaps some of you have returned to the Pentecost happening, just to see if any more of the signs of which Jesus spoke are evident. Others may see this as a futile exercise and not even bother to waste time on it. Still, others may think that we may be trying to find things which may fit into some of those signs. Nevertheless, there are others, who by faith, have sought the guidance of Teacher and Counsellor, Holy Ghost and have been given eyes to see and ears to hear. Faith is fantastic, for on the wings of the power of faith impossible things happen. It is with exercised faith that we receive.  

Jesus had given this definite word as a sign that will accompany those who believe, His Spirit baptized believers. In My Name they will pick up snakes with their hands. Whether you believe this literally or not, will you accept what has been brought before you? Perhaps, like me, your mind went straight to Paul and the deadly, poisonous viper that landed on his hand. Paul was saved by God from dying in that shipwreck. God had told Paul that He was going to save him and God kept His Word. Now he and the other saved people from the ship are on an island called Malta, where the natives welcome them. Because it’s raining heavily and it’s cold, Paul gathers some brushwood to make a fire. A viper, driven out by the heat, latches on to Paul’s hand and immediately, the natives think that Paul is a convict and a murderer. They are saying that though he has escaped from the sea, justice has caught up with him. This is a deadly snake as the natives know only too well and they know that its bite will certainly kill anyone. But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. Acts 28: 5. Listen to the witnesses of God’s Promised sign. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. Acts 28: 6.

As with demons, the word snake includes people with snake-like behaviour and manner. When a person is referred to as a snake, or described as a snake, it is because such a person has been found and proven to be deceitfully deadly and most cunning in the worst ways possible. These are people who are very sneaky and who appear harmless and very friendly, but such a person is dangerous, and not to be trusted. Among the believers, the new converts who accepted the message of Peter on that first Pentecost time, is there a snake among them?  Can there be snakes among the three thousand who were added to the number of disciples that day?

Remember, Those who accepted the message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 2: 41. These baptised, believing converts, became united as one. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. Acts 4: 32.  But in this group of baptized, believing, Christians, there are snakes in the grass, and Peter is the person who picks them up. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he is given power, in the Name of Jesus, to expose Ananias and his wife Sapphira, who are among the three thousand new converts. They have agreed to be deceivers and come to Peter with an outright lie. While professing to be people who have sold all their possessions, they have brought part of the sales money to Peter, claiming that it was all.

Peter literally points this couple out as snakes, deceivers, who have tried to lie, not to Peter or the newly formed community of believers, but to the Holy Spirit. Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart that you should lie to the Holy Spirit. And later, to Sapphira he says. How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?

In the Name of Jesus, Peter was able to recognise or pick up the snakes among them. These were people who lied to God the Holy Spirit and God the Father dealt with them as He chose.

Take God at His Word! Believers, filled with the Baptism of Jesus, in His Name, will pick up snakes without fear. You are assured that among you, there are those who are treacherous tricksters. These are people into whose hearts the deceiver, the snake, comes, to get you to lie to the Holy Spirit.