Word of knowledge?
 

Can someone demonstrate Biblically that the gift of "the word of knowledge" must or even more often than not involve revealing some hidden detail about a person's life, like all the psychics and card readers do?

I contend that the "word of knowledge" involves Holy Ghost directed utterance that GIVES KNOWLEDGE TO THE HEARERS and is NOT "reading their mail" in regards to personal details like "you were burning your biscuits this morning because you got angry at your sister for stealing your last can of Starkist yesterday evening, it's become a 'stronghold' in your heart for legions of devils who have now convinced you to stop tithing..."

Re: Word of knowledge?
 

I think you're on to something here. I would offer or suggest that the gift of prophecy, the one we can all partake in one by one, that manifests the secrets of men's hearts, so they'll fall down on their faces and declare that God is in us of a truth, is the gift of the Spirit that causes someone the ability to "read the mail", as it were. Paul even wrote that if he had the gift of prophecy and knew all things...

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But but but if callin people out and tellin their secrets aint of God, then who is gonna preach at me and point me out and tell me that my crossdressin is a sin????

But seriously....its posts like this that make me feel as if I know nothing about scripture and that I need to start over and really pray, fast and re-examine things.

Ive found that with me at least, God will drop something into my spirit and then Ill end up just sharing it with someone with no idea that what I shared with them confirmed something for them or ministered to them until they tell me later.

God doesnt reveal peoples deep dark secrets to me...and I dont want them...I DO want to be used to help and minister to others though.

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That sounds, to me, like a word of knowledge. :thumbsup

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I agree. :thumbsup

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Starkist. Gross.

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The role of all the gifts is to:

I Corinthians 12:7 ESV
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

They are to edify, heal, serve, and guide the body or individuals for the common good.

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One time I was out for a prayer walk when I began praying for a brother I had not heard from in months.

He had been having a lot of trouble finding a job. I Lord spoke to me about what the problem was and what to do. As this came to me I prayed about whether this was from God. Again was told when I got home he would be on the phone with my roomie.

Sure enough, he was. So I spoke what God gave me. I believe that was both a Word of knowledge and a Word of Wisdom

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it's both.

John 1:47-49 KJV Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! (48) Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. (49) Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

John 4:17-19 KJV The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: (18) For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. (19) The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

John 14:12 KJV Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

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You want to talk about reading someone's mail? One day I ran to the Post Office and on my way home, the Lord spoke to me and said that my daughter was getting the teacher's manual and cheating on her math. When I got home, I told her what the Lord had spoken to me. Her eyes were as big as saucers. Yes, sir. God does give us the Word of Knowledge and we do read a person's mail. It is only to help them.

I have more stories, but I will only share that one. When you desire to help people, God will use you in many of the gifts.

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:thumbsup:thumbsup

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Thank you!

Now, how may the church differentiate between a word or message of knowledge from either attempted divination, or chicanery?

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If the motive is impure, or for self agrandizement

Acts 8:9..But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
10..To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11..And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
12..But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13..Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
14..Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15..Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16..(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17..Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
18..And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19..Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20..But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21..Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
22..Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
23..For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
24..Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

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We can all hold dolls and see what we see.

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No thanks. lol

Re: Word of knowledge?
 

I Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (You are in pretty good shape, spiritually, if you maintain this attitude.)

19 Quench not the Spirit.

20 Despise not prophesyings.

21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (Prove all things: 1. against the Word of God 2. by the discerning of Spirits - whether they be of God.)

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Lol

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Chicken

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is it from God or not? do they love one another? do they have the fruits of the Spirit to coincide with the gifts? Does it go against the already written word of God? What is their motivation in their revelation?

the message delivered isnt the only thing to consider...also the method of delivery.

a fountain cannot give both bitter and sweet...

Re: Word of knowledge?
 

Hey! LOL

In hind sight, I could have handled that differently. Touché. lol

https://media.tenor.co/images/f86a84...c772785f19/raw

Re: Word of knowledge?
 

I believe it is through the same principle noted here:

Deut 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

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Don't we have an advantage by having the Spirit of God present in us to guide and direct us? IOW, do we always have to wait and see if that thing comes to pass before we pronounce or recognize whether this person is a false prophet or not? I would say that there are times that test our faith, and times when we are made very well aware in order to ward off any damage at the outset. I don't believe all things are the same as under the OT.

The Lord gave me a word about a preacher who would fall. Ten years later he did fall. So, that is a warning from the Spirit of God? It it not? IOW, I didn't have to put my trust in the man only to later find out the truth of things.

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That verse in Deut is saying IF IT DOES come to pass... the way to determine its origin is to see if it brings glory to God or not. So, I think that covers it.

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Yes, but Deut is talking about following after pagan Gods. I didn't think that is what Esaias was referring to. Wasn't he specifically talking about an abuse of the gifts, especially the Gift of Knowledge? What would that have to do with following pagan gods?

Re: Word of knowledge?
 

if someone was speaking a word of knowledge into my life, I would look for the following:

* someone who is exalting Jesus and walking in the love of God 1 Cor 13 and not puffed up and exalting themselves as Simon in Acts 8

* are they speaking something that resonates with my situation that aligns with the word of God Ephesians 4:11-16

* someone I know who has a proven ministry 1 Thess 5:12-21

* and I most certainly would not listen to anyone who is trying to tear others down Romans 14:13-19 Romans 15:1-3

I think people who are trying to tear down instead of edify should be strongly resisted and discredited, not mollified and compromised with.

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It's the principle I referred to. The way to test if a prophet is of God or not is to see if He causes one to bring glory to the one true God. Using that principle, if the word of knowledge comes from a person and is true, like a prophecy coming to pass, and the person really does "read another person's mail," if it does not bring glory to God then it is not God. That's what he was wondering about -- whether it's of God or not.

Re: Word of knowledge?
 

Thanks for the clarification. Agreed! :thumbsup Makes me think a thread could be started about "principle" of things in the Bible.

Re: Word of knowledge?
 

I haven't been told I have the Word of Knowledge but I've wondered.

one day I was listening to a question about something that wasn't working and they couldn't get it to work, when out of my mouth came out a reply that even amazed me. I didn't know anything about what they were talking about. I knew it had to be from God.

No I can't read and don't want to read any ones mail.
It's like a knowledge of things that I know nothing about. It has happened more than once. and it's always solutions to problems. Do I have this Gift? I don't know, either way Thank you Lord.

We always want to be needed and do things for the Lord.
Here I am Lord, Use me in whatever way You Want!

If anyone has an insight into the gifts I'd love to hear them. Especially if you have this gift.

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I think God may use us in the gifts as the needs arises and as he sees fit. It could mean that we are not used continually but only occasionally.

He may also choose you to speak to someone because he knows they are receptive to hearing from you.

1 Cor 12:1-7

12..Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2..Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3..Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4..Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5..And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6..And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7..But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

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I think that's a good principle to go by generally. But I've found that a vision or Word of Knowledge can be misunderstood by both the speaker and the receiver(s). For example, I often share the story of how I was talking to a woman about how I wasn't prepared for the sudden passing of my mom and she shared about the sudden passing of her grandmother and how it deeply effected her. She didn't get a chance to say goodbye and was left feeling a big void in her life. I then saw a vision of her petting animals and felt the impression to tell her that the Lord was with her through her grandmother's passing and still is. In our conversation I had assured her that God was with her, even when she was at the, "petting zoo". She looked at me all crazy and said that she hadn't been to any "petting zoos". I apologized and explained that I saw a vision of her petting animals through a wooden fence and felt the Lord impress upon me to tell her that He was with her. At this point, I was thinking that maybe the vision was symbolic, like Peter's pigs in a blanket vision. But after I explained, she was deeply moved, because her family had gathered after the funeral at her dad's farm. While feeling alone and spiritually numb, she went out to pet the animals to cry and be alone.

It wasn't a petting zoo... it was her dad's farm.

I'm a city boy. Born and raised in the inner city. I don't think of farms that often. However, I have taken my kids to petting zoos etc. where they were able to interact with animals commonly seen on farms. As you can see, my understanding of the vision was limited by my own personal understanding and experiences.

It's kind of like the interpretation of tongues. It is an "interpretation" not a translation. Thus, the words you feel led to ascribe to the utterance might not be exactly the words someone else with a greater vocabulary might be led to use as they interpret.

So, with Deuteronomy 13:1 in mind, I'd advise that one not write off a gifted prophet or seer if the vision or message doesn't seem to make sense initially. Sometimes the Spirit will enlighten you with insight to understand it later. Sometimes with a bit of explanation, it begins to make far more sense. In addition, prophecies aren't always fulfilled the way we assume they might. For example a prophetic word over a sick person might be, "I, the LORD, will lift you up my child, and in that day, saith the LORD, you shall see my glory." We might assume that by "lift you up" that the LORD is promising a healing. But realize after their passing that indeed, the LORD has lifted them up... to Himself in Heaven, and yes, the loved one is now beholding His glory.

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Amen. Sometimes it takes time for a Word to come to pass.

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The only concern I can see would be that some people could accuse a man of being a false prophet until the vision, dream, or Word comes to pass. For example, Pressing-On's vision of a preacher's fall took 10 years to come to pass. If Pressing-On shared that vision openly, a number of people could have thought Pressing-On was a false prophet during the 10 years that it took the Word to be fulfilled.

So, I think much caution should be taken when examining a Word, vision, comes to pass. For example, Pressing-On's vision of a preacher's fall took 10 years to come to pass. If Pressing-On shared that vision openly, a number of people could have thought Pressing-On was a false prophet during the 10 years that it took the Word to be fulfilled.

While we certainly shouldn't rush to accept any Word, vision, or dream as being from God, we also need to not rush to discard a Word, dream, or vision if appears to not be coming to pass.

I had a shocking revelation while talking to a friend about the first church I attended. An evangelist known for walking in the prophetic declared that our church would be used to bless the churches throughout and surrounding our community. He had said that our church was the, "spout where the glory comes out", and that everyone who heard this Word would see it with their own eyes.

Well, I remember how excited we were to hear that Word from God. We started outreach ministries, boosted the youth group, we even eventually bought a church on wheels. But we also suffered a terrible church split. At the end of the church split well over half of the foundational families that had attended the church since I started attending had left. The new pastor wasn't liked by a number of people and so there were changes in leadership and ministries replaced by new ministries. Years later, the church still isn't filled to even half of capacity and the church is really no more prominent in the community and among other churches than it was before. In fact, some will say that things went downhill.

While talking to this older brother who attended that church with me, I shared how disappointed I was that the vision didn't come true. He smiled and said, "Chris, where did all those families and lay-ministers go?" Well, I began thinking about it... two started churches (one of which is still up and running today), and numerous lay-ministers and families now serve and attend... churches throughout and surrounding our community. And that's when it hit me... the vision did come to pass. For twelve years I felt like the Word given was just something said to get us all hyped up. In fact, the split and all the families leaving actually served to fulfill the prophecy. He saw that I got it and said, "Giving birth to a vision can be painful."

Visions, dreams, and Words from God are often fulfilled in ways that we'd never imagine at the time they're given. As a result, it could be easy to label one a false prophet until one's eyes are opened to the fulfillment that is quite often staring us right in the face the whole time.

Re: Word of knowledge?
 

Is it possible to get Word of Knowledge and Word of Wisdom confused? I think some people do. Here's my understanding of what they are:

Word of Wisdom - Divine wisdom or insight about a situation that is delivered straight from God.

Word of Knowledge - The impartation of knowledge pertaining to Scripture, a person, situation, or chain of events that the gift holder could not have known by any natural means.