"Signs & Wonders"

The thoughts and ideas of "Signs & Wonders" has captured my attention for a couple of weeks now (actually for a few years, but lately for a couple of weeks). The Signs & Wonders described in scripture are remarkable events or powers that are so strange that people stop to watch and observe, or they may be remarkable events yet to happen. It is obvious from scripture that the first century believers were given these powers by the Holy Spirit.

"The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people."
Acts 5:12

"Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the poeple."
Acts 6:8

"Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."
Mark 16:20

So at the time of Pentecost (the ascending of Christ and the receiving of the Holy Spirit) the first century believers were given the power of signs and wonders. The scripture says at Pentecost the apostles (and probably the 120) were granted the ability to speak in tongues.

"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."
Acts 2:4

Later it appears that the first century Gentiles in Ephesus were given the ability to speak in tongues by the Holy Spirit though Paul.

"When Paul placed his hands on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied."
Acts 19:6

You might be wondering where this is all going. Here is the point - I have personally never spoken in tongues or even heard anyone speak in tongues. I have never personally been able to heal anyone on the spot with the laying on of hands. I have never personally been given a vision of prophesy of the future. To the extent I am aware, God has never spoken out loud to me.

So why is this? As you can tell, there are more questions being raised than I am currently able to answer. I have a Pentecostal or Charismatic ministry acquaintance who speaks to me about how God talks to him and the visions he has received. A few years ago when I first me this man, I wondered why I haven't had any of these encounters with God. For a period of the few months I prayed for God to give me a sign, a vision, anything that would help me understand or believe that these kind of encounters were real from the people I was hearing them from. To the extent I am aware, no sign or vision was given.

From Paul's first letter to the people in Corinth, it appears that each believer is given a manifestation of the Spirit.

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Holy Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the Holy Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophesy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues."
1 Corinthians 12:7-10

So from this passage maybe I have been given the gift of wisdom, knowledge or faith for the common good of the body of Christ and not the gift of healing, miraculous powers, prophesy, distinguishing of spirits, tongues or the interpretation of tongues?

Finally, here are a list of possible answers to these questions that have been swirling through my mind the last couple of weeks. I would love for anyone who feels compelled to comment at the bottom of this blog with your thoughts!

- signs, wonders and tongues were just a gift given in the first century when miracles confirmed the word of God. Would this mean that those who I hear about signs and wonders from are deceived or deceitful?

- signs and wonders today only occur on the foreign mission field where miracles confirm the work of God. In the U.S. we have much access to the word of God and have either chosen to listen or not.

- I don't personally have enough "faith" in the reality of signs and wonders.

- I was given by the Holy Spirit a different manifestation (wisdom, knowledge or faith) and that the other manifestations are real today in the body of Christ, just not in me.

- I have not truly received the Holy Spirit. I don't believe this one based on my changed life, but it has to be listed as a possibility.