The Question Mark 16:16-18: “He who believes is baptized and will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 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.” This passage has been somewhat haunting me for the past few months. I must admit, what this passage implies troubles me deeply. Why, you ask? Because I don’t hear this preached, and I rarely see this in action in the modern church or Christian community. For many, passages like this become a bone of contention, a point for theological argument, and, for whatever reason, many have chosen what verses in the Bible fit their belief. Far too many of us are guilty of such action. We must all confess our sin in this practice, and I for one do so now! I admit that I, too, have on occasion overlooked, omitted, and bypassed scriptures that make me or would maybe make others uncomfortable. I, too, have taken far too much liberty with the Word in order to make my point. Please forgive me! Were my actions deceitful or wicked? I should say not, for I would never intentionally use the Word with ill intentions, but I, too, am human, and my flesh does and has gotten in the way. That said, I say to you that far too many (more than not) leaders in the Christian faith have done so; hence, your responsibility to understand and read the Word comes to light. Over the next few days or weeks (whatever it takes), I do intend to dissect the Word and do all I can to understand and share that understanding with all who choose to read my ramblings. Feel free to join me. Again, the question is, “Why do we not see the fruit in believers that Jesus describes in Mark 16:16-18?” The Truth Before we dive into Mark, we must first establish a basis for the argument of all scripture being relevant for today, tomorrow, and yesterday, for this truly is our foundation. 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Paul tells us in his letter to Timothy that there is a purpose for all scripture and that it is all inspired by God. All! Oh, let us take a moment to address the doubting Thomas's in the room. Yes, man wrote the scriptures and rewrote them time and again, and, yes, men make mistakes. But let me ask you this one question: “Do you think God is big enough, powerful enough, and concerned enough about His Word to prevent such mistakes?” If you don’t believe this, then I would say to you that I doubt you believe He is sovereign; therefore, how can you serve Him, for He does not exist to serve you. Either He is God or He is not, and if He is, then He is all powerful, all knowing, and more than capable of defending Himself. Therefore, “all scripture is inspired by God” and must be our truth. Let us look at another passage of relevance to building our foundation: John 1:1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” We are told in this passage that the “Word” is Jesus and that He has always been, and Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Now, if I take these scriptures in the literal sense with which they were written and in context, I can arrive at only one conclusion: “The Word of God cannot and does not change.” What was true at the very inception of the Word was truth. The Word is more than writings, more than a book: it is literal, past, present, and future reality. It is the very basis and existence of all things. What was foretold to happen, if it has not already done so, will happen in the future. The Word remains true to this very day and will forever be as such, truth! Please hear and receive this unreputable fact, not so by my opinion but rather true because it is truth, and no one or no thing can change that! Knowing truth to be as such when I read scriptures in context like Mark 16:16-18, I cannot, therefore, help but ask why these things are not being seen? Why are there not consistent miracles, signs, and wonders in the Christian movement today? Why is it that Jesus says these things will follow those who believe and are baptized and yet we see them so rarely today?" I believe that we must, as true believers, come to the complete and absolute understanding that everything in the Word is true and relevant to us and our lives and begin living as such. Our complacency and arrogance does not impress God; our opinion does not matter to Him or change His will. The Lord desires us to seek Him, to do His will, to love His people, to obey His Word, to move as His Spirit leads, and to love Him and allow Him to be Lord of our lives. Truly, the relevancy of everything else is questionable. I know this may sound harsh to some, but look around. Look at our nation-we are no longer being led as a Christian nation founded on God. Why? Because we as believers have failed. We have failed to pray, we have failed to love, we have failed to understand His Lordship, and we have failed at denying our flesh and laying our lives down for His glory. We have failed to defend and stand upon the very truth of the Word of God! More to follow. Gene Burroughs