After reading about 5 or so pages of debate on whether signs and wonders and gifts of the Spirit are still occurring on another thread here, I thought I would chime in with a post that has a slightly different view.
Heavenly Father grant me the unction to speak what you are showing me, May your will be done in Jesus Name, Amen.
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:29)
Earlier on this forum I have said that the gift of discerning of the spirits has been nullified in this day and age. I Believe this is of God's doing, and by his will that the church is in a state of flux and uncertainty over the issues. We see these sorts of debates ad infinitum online with little or no resolution ever, and they include not just this debate on cessationism and continuism of the gifts of the spirit, but also on many other divides.
I Believe the gifts of the Spirit have and do continue,1. save the gift of discerning of spirits which has been withheld from this generation. In Other words, God has chosen to make us Blind, That in the end we will all desire to see.
To some this blindness manifests in not seeing the gifts of the spirit, and to others it comes in the form of accepting all signs and wonders whether true or false as gifts of the spirit. In this regard both sides on this debate are blind. One is Blind to the gifts existence, while the other is largely 2. blind to the existence of false signs and wonders, and are blindly deceived, and in some cases deceiving themselves. These are hard words for both sides.
But as I said, there is a reason for this, and that is that faith comes not by seeing, As the opening verse alludes to. Hebrews 11:1 states "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." 3. This Blindness is there for the purpose of making us desire this final outpouring of the gift of the discernment of spirits, the eyesalve of God as spoken of in Revelation. Until we whether continuationist or charismatic come to see this need together we will continue to squabble, and this squabbling is part and parcel to us coming to desire the gift of seeing.
This is why this final outpouring of the gift of discerning of spirits is so vital and to be sought for by all involved. I would think even the fundamentalist has to agree that we as a church are in dire need of this, and instead of condemning the charismatic, they should be asking why they are not seeing, Just as the charismatic who condemns the fundamentalist for not seeing should pray that they should come to see what the fundamentalist has a controversy about, as to the seducing spirits involved. This is the unity of the Spirit. This is not compromise, but rather Humility and Love for brothers and sisters who are diverse from one another.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. (1 Cor. 13: 8-10)
I Post these verses with the following questions for both sides, for the Charismatic, Do You acknowledge that there is a time when these things shall pass away, and that your prophecies may fail? and for the Fundamentalist, Has that "perfect come in" yet which is when these gifts will cease? Please think about this. Let the words convict you.
For His Glory.
