Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. 1 Corinthians 12:1.

Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:

There are three things I tell you that you need to be aware of to live a successful life filled with righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Do you know what they are? If you do not, you are probably not aware of them.

First, I tell you to be aware that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit. You are My house and a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16.

Second, I tell you to be aware of the spiritual gifts (grace endowments).

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. 1 Corinthians 12:1.

And not only to be aware of them but to desire them earnestly.

Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 1 Corinthians 14:1.

So of primary importance is that you walk out your life in the Holy Spirit. For if  you are aware of My Spirit in you (the inner witness) and My Spirit on you (the gifts), you are walking in the spirit and not in the flesh.

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Paraclete-one at your side), that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17.

And finally I tell you to be aware of the tactics and schemes of the devil.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:11.

So that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:11.

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  1 Peter 5:8-10.

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the discernment of spirits. The devil, having been created a spirit is such and you must be aware of and discern his activities because he will try to mimic Me to deceive people. He will try to mimic the gifts of the Holy Spirit, for the word of wisdom,  he puts forth fortune tellers, palm readers, astrology and the like, even fortune cookies. And for the word of knowledge he sets forth mediums, witches, sorcery, horoscopes, Ouija boards, and the like.

Once you take back your authority in the Name of Jesus and begin walking in the authority of I gave you and won back for you in Christ, the devil will challenge you to make you back down. If he has been accustomed to ruling your emotions, health, finances, peace, family and work, he will not give up easily.

If you cast him out and he goes, be assured he will come back. Do not let him find your heart empty or he will return with seven spirits worse than himself. The secret is to get filled with the Holy Spirit and the evil spirit can find NO entrance at all.

For example, I had given Moses authority over Pharaoh, and the people thought Moses would get them quickly out of slavery but when Moses showed up and told Pharaoh to let My people go he would  not and he stepped up the work and enforced it with their slave drivers, but Moses did not back down (did not take the bait of trying to make it better for his people by compromising with slavery). And he came out the victor over all of Pharoah’s army and nation.

When you walk in the authority of the believer, the devil will try to push you back into a slave instead of his master. He did this when the three friends of Daniel refused to worship an idol. They would only bow to Me. So Nebuchadnezzar turned up the flaming furnace to which they would be cast seven times hotter. By walking in their authority they were challenged seven times hotter, but they would not back down. And I intervened and kept them safe. I had to go in the fire with them through My Son.

One of the gifts of the Spirit is the Word of Knowledge. It is not about the future like the word of wisdom, it is about facts in the present and the past, functioning in union with My Spirit so that all will be covered.

Yesterday our Life Lesson was on the gift of the Word of wisdom. That Word looks forward to what is coming, a future event, that can be as close as the next moment, or as far as the eternal. But that Word always has to do with carrying out My purpose and plan for each of you individually and all corporately. The Word I give you is often to involve you in saving and helping another to reach their true destiny in Me, but it can be a Word for you too. And My Word of wisdom can come to you as a perception in your spirit from My Spirit, as a line of Scripture that by revelation I apply to your current situation, by a dream, by a vision, by an angel, or by a prophet, but it will always line up perfectly with a Scripture that is already written.

Now let us consider the next gift I list in our passage of Scripture: the Word of knowledge. “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit.” Diversity of gifts but the same Spirit giving them all as He wills. He knows the need before you even do. And the Word of knowledge reveals a past or present fact, condition, or occurrence you could not otherwise know. On the island of Patmos, Jesus came to John in a vision and told him the condition of each of the seven churches and then gave him a Word of wisdom for each one of them. So you see the Word of knowledge leading to the Word of wisdom to the benefit of all, so that the members of those churches would be comforted and exhorted them to step up higher in their walk with Jesus. The Word of knowledge is often about a past or present fact indicating a person in need that I wish you to help. And that Word reveals either a present or a past occurrence in that person’s life. It is becoming aware of what is going on in the life of another that you otherwise could not know.

 

In Jesus you see all the gifts manifesting and in operation. By the Word of wisdom, He knew ahead of time that Peter would deny him three times before the cock crowed twice, and He stated so. He knew that Judas would betray Him. And He knew about the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. He also operated in the Word of knowledge. He knew about the five marriages of  the Samaritan woman who met Him at the well and that currently the man she was living with was not her husband. This amazed her because there was no way Jesus could have known those things in the natural, they had never met before. He also gave her a Word of wisdom about future worship. And by His Words of knowledge and wisdom, it was revealed to the woman that He was the Messiah.

And by the pool of Bethesda, Jesus knew the man had been sick a long time and he knew it was a result of sin. And once He healed him, He counseled him to stop sinning so something worse would not overtake him.

And often Jesus would answer people’s thoughts, even though they had not spoken them. This too is a Word of knowledge of a present fact you could not otherwise know but My Spirit shares with you, for I know your thoughts from afar and even before a word is on your tongue, I know the whole of it. And if you need to help someone with that, My Spirit will reveal enough to you that you can answer them.

And you see the gifts in operation all through the Book of Acts. And not only in the apostles who had been with Jesus but with new believers. When My risen Son revealed Himself to Paul, then Saul, on the road to Damascus, the brightness of the glory blinded Paul’s physical eyes and they led him into Damascus. The Word of knowledge was then imparted to a disciple at Damascus named Ananias by Jesus in a vision, and what was that Word? “Get up and go to the street called Straight and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” Acts 9:10-12. And here in the Word of knowledge you also see the Word of wisdom in the instruction to lay his hands upon Saul in order to heal his eyes. And Saul (Paul) as well had a Word of knowledge and of wisdom in a vision when he saw Ananias come and lay his hands upon him. He thus was receptive to Ananias, knowing it was from Me for his healing.

Ananias questioned this as he had heard that Saul was coming to Damascus to arrest those who called upon the Name of Jesus, but the next Word that came to him from Jesus in the vision was a Word of wisdom, telling of the future, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:15-16. So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened. Acts 9:17-19. Words of comfort came from Words of knowledge and wisdom, as well as divine healing.

And when in the early Christian community, a couple sold their land and came to join the community, they told the apostles that they were giving them all the money they had from the sale but in reality they lied and held money back for themselves. But Peter had a Word of knowledge and uncovered their lie, upon which each fell dead at his feet. And what did Peter tell the husband? “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” Acts 5:3-4. He saw it as lying directly to the Holy Spirit while the spirit of the evil one filled the man’s heart.

In the Old Testament you see the Word of knowledge as well as the Word of wisdom in frequent operation. Be mindful of course that these gifts were given by My Spirit being upon them but not in them as Jesus had not died or been glorified as yet. And the Spirit only came upon those with special ministries, such as the prophet, the priest, and the king That is why you see all the gifts manifest in the Old Covenant except the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues. That gift comes from the fountain of living water bubbling up to eternal life within you, the Spirit in you.

Do you remember when David sinned with Bathsheba it was an unknown affair but the prophet Nathan had a Word of knowledge given him and he went and confronted David with his sin, bringing David to repentance and restoration.

And consider when Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was healed from leprosy at the word from Elisha, he tried to give Elisha articles of value, but Elisha refused. Elisha’s servant Gehazi thought, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, by not receiving from his hands what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?” He said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.’” Naaman said, “Be pleased to take two talents.” And he urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried them before him. When he came to the mountain, he took them from their hand and deposited them in the house. He thought no one knew what he had done. But I gave Elisha a Word of knowledge and he saw in the spirit the whole episode as if he were there observing. He went and confronted Gehazi with it, who tried to deny having done anything, but Elisha had seen it and justice was done. 2 Kings 5:20-27. A hypocrite was revealed. Even servants of the prophets can be tempted by the evil one. Be careful.

My prophet Samuel had a Word of knowledge which led to a Word of wisdom that he was to go and anoint one of the sons of Jesse as king. He did not know Jesse or his sons. “Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons.” 1 Samuel 16:1. But notice that I did not tell him which one until he had gone to Bethlehem and went through all seven sons present and had to inquire if there was another. It is a Word that you follow, and then you get another Word, and another until you achieve the goal for which I sent it. 1 Samuel 16:6-13.

There are many more incidents of the Word of knowledge but My Spirit always bestows it for a purpose to help, instruct, exhort, work justice, bring healing and comfort, or bring salvation to another. And there may be times My Spirit gives you a vision of something that occurred in your own past that you had forgotten or suppressed that needs to be uncovered to show you what is the root of the problem you are in now so you can rectify it.

Walk in the Spirit and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts as you pursue love. It is the exciting life of excellence for the profit of all. Think of Philip in Samaria. He was one who waited on tables to give food in the early community. But he went out to preach the good news of Jesus and during that time an angel I sent spoke a Word of knowledge to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) Philip just knew he a word to go to that road. So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” This time the Holy Spirit spoke to Philip. Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He does not open His mouth. In humiliation His judgment was taken away; who will relate His generation? For His life is removed from the earth.” The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him but went on his way rejoicing. The following of the Word of knowledge led to the salvation of an important contact from Ethiopia that would take the Word back there happened because Philip had followed the Word spoken to him first by the angel and then by the Spirit. And the Spirit then took Philip to Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

I love you. I have given you the Holy Spirit and He gives you gifts. Philip was not one of he twelve but believed in Jesus by their Word. So do you. Would you like adventures like he had? You can have them, for one and the same Spirit gives the gifts to each as He wills for the profit of all. Make yourself available.