(This post is a follow-up to “Eyeing Everest”)

You wrote, “The story is not directly applicable to us today because we can’t perform miracles like the apostles could – but there is an important principle being taught.  Faith makes a difference.  Faith is one of the greatest elements of Christianity (1 Cor 13:13).  If we trust God, great things can happen.”  You gotta be kidding, right? (Of course you’re not - you are serious).  Why must you say such ridiculous things such as this; we can’t perform miracles like the apostles?  Why can’t we?  Because you can’t?  Because you are a supposed man of God and haven’t this authority to perform the works of God?  God is, was, and will be.  He hasn’t changed; if He wills me or someone to do His will with that of His miraculous ability, He is free to do so.  To claim that God doesn’t do this anymore is the equivalent of the Jehovah’s Witnesses saying angels don’t give messages like in the Bible anymore!  Who are you to make such claims?  You have not got the authority to be so pompous to state that as TRUTH!  However, you have freedom of choice, and you may continue to say what you will, but, friend, I tell you this, you could say anything, but that in it of itself means nothing.

Sincerely,
Who Do You Think You Are?

Dear Who Do You Think You Are,

Yes, we are serious – and we’ve got the Scriptures to back it up.  God clearly said that there would come a time when miracles would cease (1 Cor 13:8).  A miracle is something that breaks the laws of physics (such as raising someone from the dead, supernaturally healing leprosy, etc.).  Miracles were needed to prove that Jesus and His apostles were sent from God (Acts 14:3, Acts 2:22, Jhn 9:16).  Now that we have the perfect and complete Bible, we no longer need those miracles – which was Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians.  When the “perfect” of 1 Cor 13:8-10 happened, the church no longer needed miracles to further the message of Christ.  After the Bible was completed, the church was able to fully see God’s message of salvation (1 Cor 13:12) without further need of prophecies and miracles.

Some other articles (with further Scriptures) you might want to read on the subject are “I Dreamed A Dream”, “Three Cheers For Miracles”, and “Gifts That Stop Giving”.  We completely agree with you that just saying something doesn’t make it true; that is why we wanted to show you the plethora of verses on the topic.

Okay!  This might sound odd, but I have what you would call a gift from God!  And a verrry strong one at that!  I know I could use it for evil or pagan works, but I don’t play with the dark side, nor do I want to, so how can I progress my gift without crossing the line?  And, yes, I know it might sound crazzzzzy to you, but it’s really cool, the thing I can do.

Sincerely,
Gifted

Dear Gifted,

Everyone has gifts and talents given to them from God (Ps 139:14, 1 Cor 12:13-19).  However, it sounds like you are talking about a miraculous gift.  If that is the case, your belief (no matter how sincere) is wrong.  The abilities to perform miracles, prophesy, etc. have long since ceased.  When the perfect Bible was completed, miraculous abilities ceased to be necessary (1 Cor 13:9-10).  We recommend you read “I Dreamed A Dream…”.

Whatever natural gifts and talents God gives us, we must use to glorify Him (1 Cor 10:31).  We do this through study (2 Tim 2:15), zealous enthusiasm (Jhn 4:24), obedience (Jhn 15:14), and growth of character (1 Pet 2:2).

Hi, I had a dream a few nights ago; I was outside, and it was daytime.  I looked up at the sky, and I saw a few clouds, and something red was in the clouds.  It was like a human shape; it was red.  I couldn’t see a face or hands; I don’t know what it was.  Then I saw three or four, maybe even five, moons in the sky.  What does this mean?

Sincerely,
New Moon

Dear New Moon,

It means you had a weird dream.  The days of prophecy and visions are over.  The purpose of prophecy was to bring God's Word to us.  Now that we have the complete and perfect word of God, there is no more need for visions and dreams (1 Cor 13:8-10).  God's Word is complete, and it has once and for all been given to mankind (Jude 1:3).  We all have odd dreams from time to time; they are caused by strange events in our lives, eating something disagreeable, or any number of other factors... but they have no divine significance.

We recommend you read "I Dreamed A Dream" for more information.

Hi, I'm loving your website right now; thanks for sharing this great site with us!

 

I have a question in regards to speaking in tongues.  A co-worker of mine (who states she is a christian) and I have many talks about biblical topics.  She told me the other day that she has spoken in tongues before.  She also said that she was filled with the Holy Spirit prior to her baptism.  She believes that since she is filled with the Holy Spirit, she is able to speak in tongues.  I know this ability was for the apostles and we do not have this gift today... but how do I go about teaching her this from the New Testament?  I know we all have gifts, but I want to show her this is not a gift that we are bestowed with today.  Help please!

Sincerely,
English Please

Dear English Please,

The easiest way to handle someone who says they have spoken in tongues is to simply ask, “Oh, what tongue did you speak in?”  Invariably, they will be tongue-tied because they will have no clue what you are talking about.  At this point, you can begin to explain that the Bible says speaking in tongues was a miraculous ability that allowed someone to speak in REAL languages that they had never learned (Acts 2:7-11).  The charismatic and Pentecostal churches teach that speaking in tongues is a “hidden” or “secret” language that can only be understood by the angelic beings unless an interpreter is present.  That is hogwash.

The whole purpose of speaking in tongues was to allow the gospel to be spread rapidly.  The gift of speaking in tongues was only useful if it allowed someone to teach another person God’s prophetic word (1 Cor 14:6-9).  Unless your friend was miraculously able to speak another real language that allowed her to teach a real person the gospel – then she will have to realize what she did wasn’t from God.  Then you can begin to teach her that miracles no longer happen (miracles being defined as things that break the natural laws of this world), and they are no longer needed because we have the complete Word of God.  See the posts, “I Dreamed A Dream” and “Three Cheers For Miracles!” for further details on how to explain this concept to your friend.

So, you don't think God gives us visions or prophecies today? Do you believe God still performs miracles in our everyday lives (this question is in reference to “I Dreamed A Dream” answer)? If not, why would we read, 'ask and you shall receive', 'knock and the door will be opened' … isn't that asking for a miracle??

I once was failing Latin, and if you had a failing grade, you could not stay on the cheerleading squad. The morning of report cards, I stopped at a large window across from the cafeteria and looked to the sky and prayed for God to forgive me of my sins and to somehow convince Mrs. Martin to give me a passing grade. She called my name to come up to sit by her desk to look at my test scores before she would write my grade on my report card.  She looked at me very sternly and showed me my four scores, which only averaged out to 69.  I had to score a 75 to make a low C.  She then said, “I don't know why I'm doing this”, and she drew out very slowly a ‘C’ on my report card.

I almost broke down but was so happy and KNEW in my heart that God had granted me a miracle. I'll go to my grave believing I had a miracle that morning.

Sincerely, Graded On A Curve

Dear Graded On A Curve,

It is important to define the term 'miracle'.  Today, the word 'miracle' describes both the act of raising a man from the dead and the act of a child being born... yet there is a vast difference between those two events.  'Miracle' - in the Biblical sense - is a 'supernatural event that breaks the laws of nature'.  Examples of this are raising the dead, walking on water, instantaneous healing of leprosy, etc.

The event you described is not a miracle in that sense.  You described a providential act of God’s care.  God took care of the situation while acting within the frameworks of natural law.  God used circumstances and unseen influence to alter the course of events and answered your prayer.  There is no doubt that God still does this every day.  The whole purpose of “a righteous man's prayer avails much" (Jas 5:16) is that God hears prayers and acts upon them.  The key is that He does so without miracles.

Miracles had one very specific purpose - to give evidence that the apostles, prophets, and Jesus were from God.  Paul called miracles "the signs of an apostle" (2 Cor 12:12).  Heb 2:4 states that God bore witness to the apostles and prophets through "signs and wonders".  Even the enemies of Christ agreed that miracles were a sign of divine approval (Acts 4:16).

Prayers certainly make a difference, and God certainly intervenes for us... just not with supernatural miracles.  However, not to worry, God can just as easily care for your needs providentially as He could with miracles.