By Signs and Wonders

by Stephen D. Elliott

As the church in North America trends toward a casual, cultural expression of Christianity, a surprising thing is happening. Instead of becoming more relevant, it’s becoming less.

In By Signs and Wonders: How the Holy Spirit Grows the Church, Steve Elliott takes a close look at evangelism. How did the Good News of Jesus Christ spread in the years following Jesus’s life? What methods has God used to see entire communities converted in the great revivals of the past? Why has the recent rise of friendship/lifestyle evangelism fallen so short of producing disciples?

As you’ll see in these pages, the fastest-growing denominations and local churches around the world today are far more reliant on a strategy apart from friendship/lifestyle evangelism. This is the focus of this book, to provide laity and Christian leaders with a critically important insight in how to more effectively evangelize a lost and dying world.

178 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 206

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to our church congregation by our pastor. The church in North America is not converting non-believers through "friendship evangelism." Conversion in the church occurs through Holy Spirit power and miracles. To convert people to Christ, we must pray to the Holy Spirit for Him to perform miracles and cause revival. An encounter with the Lord through observation of a miracle is the best conversion tool there is.

[Mark D Benedict · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an eye open, Spirit filled calling. it awakens a craving for something deep of God

[Patrick Jones]

Stephen Elliott does a masterful and balanced job of addressing a significant issue in North American Christianity: power. What makes Christians and the Christian church any different than any other religion? It is the purity of the Gospel (God offered Himself to save us) combined with manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit. This is what draws the unbelieving to faith.

It never has been and never will be that human strategies and ingenuity will bring about transformation in the hearts of people. As the prophet says, “Not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit says the Lord.” We must return to seeking the face of God and be open for the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself in the lives of His people to draw people to Jesus.

I highly recommend this book for all those who want to see the Lord move in His church as He intended.

[John Gocke · Rating 5 out of 5]

You gotta read this book if you lead a church!

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good exhortation for the contemporary church to be open to the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit.

[Jamin Melanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Stephen Elliott reminds us of the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. Too often we depend more on ourselves for salvation and evangelism, when the Holy Spirit is the only Agent capable of saving and bringing people to Jesus Christ and the Father. Dr. Elliott does not hold back any punches as he challenges all Christians (especially churches) to re-evaluate how they evangelize. Living godly lives and expecting people to come to Christ doesn’t work. This is by no means saying we can’t build relationships with people. We should, and Dr. Elliott agrees, but it can’t stop there. There has to be a place for the Holy Spirit to show His power through miracles, prophecy, words of knowledge, discernment, etc in our churches and Christian walks. Only when this happens will we see a revival in North America. Only when Christians are desperate to see God move will He actually move. Only when we give the power back to the Holy Spirit – to whom it rightly belongs – will the Church explode, and Heaven will come here on Earth. Dr. Elliott does a fantastic job of proving this in his book. His writing style is straightforward and clear, and you feel like you are having a conversation with him. In fact, for me, it was like I was sitting in one of his classes again. I highly recommend this book to all Christians. You will not be disappointed.

[John Gocke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life changing book. I want to recapture the power of the early church in my church and this one was a major puzzle piece towards that goal.