Spiritual Gifts

So what do you see in Scripture? Do the spiritual gifts of prophecy, healing, or tongues continue to the present day, or did they cease within the first century of the church?

Can men today speak "in tongues of men and of angels"? Can a person be healed by the laying on of a pastor's hands? Can men today give us words from the mouth of God?

Discuss!

Those are all alive today. It doesn't take a pastor's hands to be healed. When one is full of the Spirit, and prays in the name of Jesus healing does happen. Aside from the words of 1 Corinthians 13, don't forget Jesus' words, "If you abide in Me, and My words in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7)

After a recent service, a bunch of godly men all came up to lay hands on the pastor. You need to pray in faith that God will heal.

God still does inspire the men that are living by His will. God does move people in different ways, whether they be through their speech, their writings, their knowledge. Look in James 1, where James write, "Every good gift and perfect gift is from above" So we need to be using the gifts that God has given us to glorify Him and not the things of this material world. I will end this with James 2:26, "Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so is faith without works"

God bless

I do believe that God can make such healing happen–because God can do everything–but God does not work how we want Him to whenever we want Him to–He is not under our control! But God certainly is more likely to heal someone if godly men are involved and praying than if no one is praying at all…

My point is, God doesn't have to listen to us–His eternal will governs everything, whether or not we do anything. But prayer is not AT ALL discouraged!!!! God often bases His eternal will on how we react–usually in prayer–so we should pray often, whatever the circumstances (as the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5).

SavedByGrace says:
I do believe that God can make such healing happen–because God can do everything–but God does not work how we want Him to whenever we want Him to–He is not under our control! But God certainly is more likely to heal someone if godly men are involved and praying than if no one is praying at all…

My point is, God doesn't have to listen to us–His eternal will governs everything, whether or not we do anything. But prayer is not AT ALL discouraged!!!! God often bases His eternal will on how we react–usually in prayer–so we should pray often, whatever the circumstances (as the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5).

I'm sorry if you had felt that I was implying that God has to listen to us. We are to live godly live in accordance to His will. In Isaiah he tells us;

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, For as the heavens are higher then earth, So are My ways higher then your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts
-Isaiah 55:6-7

We are to live as he commanded and to live according to the Spirit and not the flesh. Things don't happen when we want them to, and I never have implied this. We are living on God's timetable, and things will happen when He wants them to.

Also a little side reference on you saying that God doesn't have to listen to us, then why would he say this:

f My people who are called by My name would humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land -2 Chronicles 7:14

Well this is all for now, God bless

So, Jonathan, do you believe that every time a person prays for another's healing, it occurs? Or does it require just enough faith?

I do believe that healing occurs today, but sometimes, and possibly most of the time, God lets our loved ones stay sick and/or dying. And that's in His will. And He will use it for our good and for His glory.

He may have determined before time began that I would die two days after being diagnosed with cancer. If that truly is His eternal will, then no amount of praying is going to get in its way. But we still pray, "Father, if it's Your will…" because that's what He commands us to do.

We don't pray like we know God's going to answer our prayers no matter what, because there have always been cases where God has decided to say "No" to that request. I don't think the Bible anywhere says that if we have enough faith, God has to answer our prayers positively and heal whoever we're praying for.

Well the Bible teaches us that the things we ask for in prayer teaches:

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
-Matthew 21:22

also

The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins he will be forgiven.
-James 5:15

I agree with you when you say that if it is God's will for something to happen, then it will. But by solely implying everything on that standard, you can basically be saying, "This is going to happen whether we pray about it or not, so then why even bother praying because what we pray for may or may not happen" I know that sounds like cynicism, but in all reality that is the basis of.it. We need to be a praying nation, and bring a revival to this nation.

When you pray, you need to believe in your heart with no doubting that God can change things. But not all things are going to be as we planned or as we want them to happen. But we know that good things will come from it.

And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
-Romans 8:28

Well this is all for now, God bless

I do imply everything on that standard, but we still pray because God commands us to pray. He has ordained both the end and the means to the end.

I agree that we should pray without doubts that God has the ability to answer positively. But we should also pray knowing that He may choose to say no.

Very good point about God ordaining the means to the end, COS.

C'mon! Let's get back to the main point of this forum:

Is the gift of tongues still imparted to believers today? Are tongues really only foreign languages, or can we access a divine or supernatural tongue?

Also, what about prophecy? Some evangelicals say today that prophecy is more than telling of future events, it is proclaiming God's Word. If that's the case, is the gift of prophecy still being imparted, too?

And healing? Doesn't God still give Christians the gift to heal people from time to time, especially if they have enough faith, like so many people recorded in Acts?

I agree with Jonathan.