When the Apostles received the Holy Spirit, they spoke in a special tongue for all the people theree heard them speaking in their own language regardless of where they were from and what language they spoke.
This does not occur, and is not supposed to among the believing assemblies, otherwise we would not have been taught not to speak audibly in a congregation unless there is someone with the gift of interpretation, a totally different gift.
Now, let us go to the grain. Anyone saying the gifts are dead does not yet know Jesus Christ by His Spirit, for He tells us He would not leave us helpless...........
If you worship some god who does not help you it is not the H evenly Father who loves us and cares for us every instant. Of course He does this for the non-believer also, but without recognition...thanksgiving that is.
When the bible talks about the signs following them, it meant the disciples and the apostles because of what they were supposed to do. These are the two witnesses that stand in front of the lord of this earth who is satan and their mission was to spread the gospel of the kingdom to all nations as a witness before the end (Satan’s reign) comes.
The gifts they had, was to allow them spread the gospel to every tribe and nation because when the antichrist comes, he affects every tribe and nation.
They would speak in tongues and people from all tribes would hear and understand in their own language. It can’t be possible that someone praying in their closet could speak in tongues, for what reason?
They would evangelize in a manner that people would understand the gospel. They would interprate prophesy/ they would teach.
And they would perform signs and wonders to get people attention so that the gospel spreads. They would heal/ they would raise the dead e.t.c
Rev 11:
3And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” ….
6They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.
The above verse basically says they will be accompanied by
signs and wonders but when they are done, they are killed. The disciples and apostles were pursued and killed, only John stayed alive to write the book of Revelation.
That time is over, we are in the end times- we overcome the antichrist by having faith in the lamb that was slain.
The antichrist also comes with signs and wonders and he also looks like a lamb- meaning that, he directly affects our churches with a false gospel and hence fake signs and wonders.
Rev 13:
5The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.
6It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.
7It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them….
11Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.
It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.
12It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
13And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.
Are people getting healed today? Yes
Are people talking in tongues today? Yes
Are the dead being raised today? Yes
Are people prophesying today? Yes
But most of these are fake and the most obvious is speaking in tongues that
most people do today. It has no bearing/ it doesn’t heal/ the meaning is hidden to both the speaker and the congregation/ it doesn’t spread the gospel – how could it when it is done by individuals, each in their corner in some church somewhere on the globe.
Don't underestimate the power given to the antichrist, it is the kind of power that overcomes God's holy people (Read verse 7 above & Daniel). Sitting there and saying that God will help us because He promised to send us a helper is not enough, you must understand the times and seasons for visitation.