Movement of Signs and Wonders: Who Performs Signs and Wonders?

God is the ultimate source of miracles, but who is instrumental in performing them on earth? In his article, Rev Dr William Toh explores how ordinary believers partner with God to work out signs and wonders.

Who performs signs and wonders? When we read the Bible, one truth shines clearly: God is a miracle-working God.¹ In Scripture, “signs and wonders” describes God’s supernatural acts that go beyond human explanation and that stir amazement. From the Old Testament to the New, we see His hand moving in power, sometimes directly, sometimes through His chosen servants.

God’s Miraculous Power in Scripture
In the Old Testament, there were dramatic demonstrations of His authority and presence. The parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22), the sun standing still at Joshua’s command (Joshua 10:12-13), and fire falling from heaven at Elijah’s prayer (1 Kings 18:36-38). All these reveal God’s power to intervene in the impossible. In the New Testament, there were signs that pointed to God’s truth and wonders so extraordinary that they left people marveling (Acts 2:22, 43). Jesus’ ministry overflowed with miracles: water turned into wine (John 2:1-11), blind eyes opened (Mark 10:46-52), storms stilled (Mark 4:35-41), and the dead raised to life (John 11:38-44).

Miracles were not confined to Jesus’ ministry alone; they marked the life of the early Church and were demonstrated through both apostles and ordinary Spirit-filled believers.

The Early Church’s Experience with Miracles
Miracles were not confined to Jesus’ ministry alone; they marked the life of the early Church and were demonstrated through both apostles and ordinary Spirit-filled believers. The book of Acts continues the story. The apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, healed the lame (Acts 3:1-10), cast out demons (Acts 5:12-16), and saw entire communities transformed. Stephen, “full of grace and power,” performed great wonders and signs among the people (Acts 6:8). Philip carried the gospel to Samaria, where crowds listened intently as unclean spirits were cast out and the paralyzed and lame were healed (Acts 8:5-8). Paul, too, witnessed extraordinary miracles: handkerchiefs and aprons that touched him brought healing and deliverance to the sick and oppressed (Acts 19:11-12).

Signs and wonders reveal moments when heaven breaks into earth, moments that lift our eyes to God and glorify His name. They always point to Him and His saving purpose.

The Purpose of Signs and Wonders
Miracles are never random. Signs and wonders reveal moments when heaven breaks into earth, moments that lift our eyes to God and glorify His name. They always point to Him and His saving purpose. In the Old Testament, God used signs to show that He alone is Lord and to confirm the authority of His prophets. In the New Testament, John explains that Jesus performed signs “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). Signs are not for spectacle; they are for salvation. They announce that God is present, that He cares, and that He has come to rescue His people. Every healing, every deliverance, and every miracle is a visible
testimony of God’s love reaching into human needs.

Do Signs and Wonders Still Happen Today?
This is where the debate often begins: do miracles, signs, and wonders still happen today? Most Christians agree that God is still able to perform them. But the deeper question is this: Does He still use ordinary believers, people like you and me, as His instruments of power in everyday life? Pentecostals and Charismatics hold firmly to Jesus’ promise that all believers would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them with the power to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8) and to minister through signs and wonders. They believe that as they preach, the Lord Himself works with them, confirming His Word by the accompanying signs (Mark 16:20). They also take seriously the call to pray in faith for the sick, trusting God to heal through the prayer of faith (James 5:14-16).

The expectation of miracles is woven into the fabric of New Testament Christianity. Signs and wonders are not merely possible; they are a vital expression of the Church’s Spirit-empowered life. As Paul and Wood
remind us:

“God works through the ordinary, the unseen, and sometimes the spectacular of signs and wonders… His gift to those who dare to believe and ask. God has been performing signs and wonders for centuries, yet each one occurs as new, fresh, and original. His miraculous interventions reveal to the human heart His nature and His activity. A life ready for the miraculous moves in a flow of communion with God that takes the believer beyond the realm of the natural into the realm of the supernatural.^“2

Signs and wonders are not merely possible; they are a vital expression of the Church’s Spirit-empowered life.

The Church as an Instrument of God’s Power
So, who performs signs and wonders? Ultimately, it is God Himself. The more significant issue, however, is not simply whether He continues to act in miraculous ways today, but whether His people are willing to become the instruments through whom His power is displayed. The early church did not shrink back in fear or doubt; instead, they prayed with boldness, “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30).

MM33 Mandate: Movement of Signs and Wonders
That same prayer is our challenge today. As Pentecostal believers, the miraculous should not be rare but part of our Spirit-filled normal. Too often, we affirm in our theology that God still empowers His people to perform signs and wonders, yet in practice we live as though this were no longer true. To fulfill the MM33 mandate, we cannot depend on human effort and strategy alone. We need the boldness of the Spirit, the confirmation of God’s Word through signs and wonders, and the courage to proclaim Christ in every context.

The question remains: will we dare to ask God for boldness to declare His Word, and will we trust Him to confirm it with signs and wonders? My prayer is that every one of you will take that step of faith and dare to ask. May our generation rise with faith, courage, and obedience—ready to step beyond the natural into the supernatural—so that the nations may know that Jesus Christ is Lord. Amen!

¹ Every sign and wonder are a miracle, but not every miracle is described as a “sign” or a “wonder.” A miracle is the supernatural act itself. A sign is the meaning of that act pointing us to God’s power and truth. A wonder is its effect—stirring awe, amazement, and reverence in those who witness it.

² W Paul and Dene Wood, “Preparation for Signs and Wonders,” in Signs and Wonders in Ministry Today, ed. Benny C. Aker and Gary B. McGee (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1996), 72.

Rev Dr William Toh is an ordained minister with the Singapore Assemblies of God. Together with his wife, Tina, he currently serves as a missionary based at Asia Pacific Theological Seminary (APTS) in Baguio, Philippines. At APTS, he is a professor of Christian Leadership and Ministry, the director of the Global Missions Center, and a member of the Administrative Committee. Dr Toh also serves as visiting faculty at various seminaries across the Asia-Pacific region. He is the author of two books: “Leading and Following: Effective Subordinate Leadership in Christian Ministry” and “The Holy Spirit and You: Living a Spirit Empowered Life.”