Today we move on to the second gift, “a word of knowledge” that can be related to the first gift of “a word of wisdom”. Some people want to define this gift in an either or or situation. Some will say that it is related to receiving revelation on specific portions of scripture. Others will argue that it is a revelation of spiritual situations. I have experienced it as both.
I have sat under ministries that, as the word is being preached, suddenly the preacher is being fed fresh revelation as they are preaching. They are as surprised by it as anyone else. There have been many occasions where it has happened to me. It’s not that what I was preaching was wrong, it was just while I was sharing that word I felt a fresh “download” from the Spirit that took it to unexpected places. As always happens, in the week that followed, situations were given to test out this new revelation where it was proven to be solidly from the Spirit.
Equally I have experienced the revelation of spiritual situations. On a number of occasions I have stood before a minister who told me of private conversations I had had before giving me instructions from the Lord. The purpose for it was to get my attention so I knew it was the Lord speaking to me. In turn, I have stood before people seeking answers from the Lord when I have suddenly known of things that I had no knowledge of. Sometimes it was to help in providing an answer and other times it was to get their attention. More often than not, I was given things to say that meant nothing to me and everything to them.
This is the thing again, many believers may be given something for someone without actually possessing the gift. People with this gift operate in it all the time, like those in the office of the Prophet. But on occasion it will be given to a person for a moment, perhaps because no one with that gift was at hand.
Like everything in the Kingdom, this gift requires some training. Requiring training does not mean it is manufactured by humanity. It means that trainers, believers of maturity and experience are able to help those learning to walk in this gift, to understand and to avoid some of the common mistakes of the past. These trainers are filled by the Spirit and teach from that place of relationship. Thankfully we are getting better at understanding the need for the trainers in the Body.
A reminder, these are the spiritual gifts we need to encourage and build each other up to greater maturity in Christ. We need these gifts, that’s why they were given. It changes us from a “garden club” to the spiritual Body of Christ, where we are dependent on each other in our spiritual growth. Don’t be afraid of the gifts, pursue their understanding and walk in them.
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