Treasure Hunt Evangelism, by Kevin Dedmon

Hello everyone,

A few months ago, I shared a testimony that included God instantly healing a woman of arthritis in her knees at a Meijer store.  If you want to read it, go to "Treasure Hunt Evangelism..."  The book that inspired us to take this little trip is The Ultimate Treasure Hunt by Kevin Dedmon.
I recently received a comment on that post that I felt could use a more detailed answer. An anonymous writer asked:

I've recently been reading this book but still don't understand how this process works. We are supposed to pray for a few minutes for the Spirit to give us these words of knowledge as a group? or individually? Can you tell what is usually done before you go out?

I thought it would be beneficial to my readers to give a little more insight than just what happens before a Treasure Hunt, so here is the process as we run it in our youth group.

Before going out on a Treasure Hunt, I will often show my group some vidoe footage of other people sharing the Gospel on the streets. If you hunt for them, you can find a lot of these on YouTube (for instance, try searching for "street healings"). There are a good number of free videos of Christians walking up to strangers, praying for them in the name of Jesus, and seeing supernatural results.

I share these videos because I find that many Christians have never experienced anything like this. "Street healings" are totally off their grid. So by showing them video of other people doing it, it breaks down some of the walls.

I also sometimes read one of the testimonies from Kevin's book because it specifically illustrates the Word of Knowledge leading to the person (you could even read the testimony of the treasure hunt I took our teens on.).

Both these things help people better comprehend what to expect and what is possible, thus building their faith for the "impossible."

Next, I hand out a list of five categories that are in the Appendix of Kevin's book (places, a person's appearance, names, things someone might need prayer for, and "the unusual"). Each person gets a sheet and a pen. I then explain that we're going to ask the Holy Spirit to give us clues about who Jesus wants to target today and that we'll spend the next ten minutes writing down whatever comes to mind.

Depending on the group, I sometimes insert a little, 5-minute teaching here about the simplicity of receiving "visions"--like pictures popping into your head. I might also be specific about how it may just be a passing thought, an impression, a physical sensation, or just a word. Then I put on some music, pray a 20-second prayer for the group (inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to us), and let people write.  As each person writes, he or she places each thought under one of the five categories on the paper.

I don't time things exactly because it is usually obvious when people are wrapping up. When it seems that things have gone long enough (usually 5-10 minutes), I give a one-minute warning and close.

I then walk through the list of categories and have everyone share everything they wrote down under each category. For instance, everyone shares what they wrote under "places." Then everyone shares what they wrote under "names."

Not everyone has to have something in each category, so I don't push it. But as people share, I find that it helps them take ownership of their list. People are sometimes nervous to share because they don't want to be wrong, so share your own answers first.

In a large group, we divide teams up based on what general locations or coinciding clues they heard from the Holy Spirit. In a small group, we see if combining the different thoughts seem to point to one location over another. This takes continued sensitivity to the Spirit because some connections may be a little obscure.

We don't combine the lists into one because that tends to result in the stronger personalities taking all the opportunities. On the other hand, if people keep their own lists, they seem more apt to all step out in action. The soft-spoken suddenly become bold and focused. However, I'll often jot down a "master list" for myself so that I can spur people on... "Hey, didn't someone write down 'brown vest'? Who has 'brown vest'? Go for it!"

Together as a group, we head out to the public, each of us armed with our individual lists. I encourage everyone to be on high-alert, looking for clues from their own lists. (Kevin Dedmon describes a good way to fold the paper in his book. I won't go into that here, but the point is that you should be able to see all your "clues" at a glance without having to unfold the paper.)

When we spot someone, we'll send the person who had the clue, plus someone else. If the "target" is a male, I'll always make sure to send at least one guy. If the person is female, I try to send two females--even when this makes a group of three with one male.

I make it a point not to send more than three people because this can become overwhelming for the person. The rest of our group will then walk to another area so we're not looming and staring. In fact, I encourage them to keep looking for more clues.

There are a lot of other specific things to think about--like when to end, what to do when it seems like nothing is working, how to approach people, how to pray for people, and so forth. Kevin Dedmon does a great job explaining all this in his book. Again, if any of my other readers want to check it out, grab a copy of The Ultimate Treasure Hunt by Kevin Dedmon.

Also, forgive me for my shameless advertising, but I want to remind everyone about my first book that will be coming out in April. The title is The Word of Knowledge in Action: A Practical Guide for the Supernatural Church. This will give you further insight about this gift of the Spirit.

If you want to be alerted about the release date of this book (and receive blog posts in your e-mail), simply join the e-mail list.

God bless!
--Art--

Revival in Honduras

The Holy Spirit did some amazing things while our team was in Honduras.  Countless lives were changed, and many children encountered God in a fresh, vibrant way.

I've been home for a week now, and have only now sorted through all the pictures to show you the best of the best from my personal role there.  In this post, you'll hear testimonies of the Spirit's moving in Comeyagua, Honduras, and you'll get to see some of the images of God's work among the children.

In my last post, I shared about leading the K-5th chapel and our visit to the AIDS home and children's hospital.  I've added pictures to that post, so you may want to check it out again.  Little did I know that this was just the tip of the iceberg!  Here's how the rest of the week played out:

On the 4th day of our trip, I led the chapel for the preschool kids. These preschoolers worshipped like I had never seen.  I was supposed to share a salvation message, but I felt more like they should share one with me!  Nevertheless, I took the stage and shared the message using some fun "illusions" that I brought with me to illustrate the points.  Several kids raised their hands for salvation, but I knew God wanted to do more.

With the help of a translator, I said, "These are just tricks. The ball didn’t really disappear--it’s just in my pocket. But God has real power. When Jesus was here on this earth, he worked many miracles. He healed sick people, walked on water, and raised dead people back to life. Then He told His friends, the disciples, that they could do the same things if they believed in Him. In fact, He said that they could do even greater things..." Then I talked about Him promising the Holy Spirit and what happened on the Day of Pentecost. "And for 2,000 years," I continued, "God has been filling people with His Holy Spirit as they ask for Him. If you want to be filled with God’s power to do the things Jesus did and show God's love and power to people so they can get to know Him too, come to the front so we can pray with you."

Sixty preschoolers rushed the front of the room to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.  I had to call the whole team up to lay hands on them and pray. It was awesome! We even had three teachers come forward. Of course, I couldn’t tell you how many spoke in tongues because I don’t speak Spanish, but it was awesome to see the hunger in these little kids as they passionately sought God. My translator, who runs the preschool, said she was amazed at what God did in those kids, so I know there was a significant move of the Holy Spirit.

On Day 5, we mostly did work projects at the youth center.  But during part of the day, one of the staff took us on a hike up one of the mountains that overlooks the city.  This was especially significant to me because of what I sensed happening in the spiritual realm.

From the moment we got on the bus in Honduras, I was sensing a lot of spiritual warfare in the mountains and spiritually perceiving what I can only describe as "giants" that had a grip on the people.  I shared this with the missionary, and she said many people who come down there see and describe the same things.  In fact, the specific spirits I was discerning (how they operated and influenced the people) were also confirmed to be what others had sensed.  When we reached the top of the mountain, I spent a few minutes in prayer and prophesying over the people.  Without a doubt, God answered, as we saw in the days that followed.

On Day 6, we visited a boys' orphanage.  We brought them ice cream, shared testimonies, and I presented a gospel message.  The response there was great, and we saw several more salvations.

On Day 7, I shared my testimony and the Gospel at the youth center, and about 25-30 street kids (many of them teens) made a decision to abandon sin and know Christ!

On Day 8, I led an open-ended Worship Night for the teachers of the school.  The missionaries wanted them to experience what it is to "flow in the spirit," so my role was simply to demonstrate.  We ministered to God, and He ministered to us.  It was an awesome time.  I started with playing an electric piano, but something happened to the electronics that fried its internal computer (I'm raising money to buy the missionaries a new one.  Please e-mail me if you're interested in participating).

I finished the evening with guitar.  Thankfully, God isn't restricted to a particular instrument--nor is He relegated to a language like English or Spanish--and we still encountered the manifest presence of God in that place.

On Day 9, I had the 1st-5th graders again (about 100 of them).  This time, I spoke about hearing God's voice and led them in a time of worship, prayer, and ministry in which the kids were praying for and prophesying to each other.  The Holy Spirit moved among the kids, and they really engaged in this time of interacting with God.

Later that day, we ministered in one of the mountain schools before building them a new kitchen (actually, it was just a steel frame and a roof...which happened to be a tremendous upgrade from what they had).  After our team ministered the Gospel, our translator led an altar call, and 15 kids (almost all of them) came to receive salvation.

The translator then began prophesying over them.  The missionary told us what she was saying, and it was powerful.  God is doing something awesome in Comeyagua, Honduras, and I'm so excited that I had an opportunity to be part of it.

In my next blog post, I'll share about day 10, which I believe will be considered a significant day in the history of the school there.  You'll get to read about the supernatural breakthrough, the territorial strongholds that lost their grip, and the revival that took place among the students and teachers.

In closing, I'll share with you just a few more images of the children responding to Jesus:

God bless,
--Art--

God's Presence and Love in Honduras

Hola, mi amigos!

Our team arrived safely in Honduras on Monday, and we've been pretty busy so far. We're working with a youth center / school called Enlaces in the city of Comeyagua.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of leading the morning chapel for the K-5th graders. Nearly all of them responded to the message. Here, the people identify very much with Catholicism, but very few actually have a relationship with Jesus. I shared about truly knowing God and taught about how to hear God's voice. About 50 of them said they wanted to have a relationship with Jesus like that, and we prayed with them. It was great!

Later in the day, we visited an AIDS home run by the order of nuns from Calcutta (started by Mother Theresa). In addition to adults, there were all ages of kids there--many of them orphans. The youngest was only 2 months old. These kids came from mothers who have AIDS, but they won't know whether or not they have it until they're about 5-7 years old (because it lays dormant). We came with clowns and balloon animals, and I had the opportunity to minister to the kids with songs, tricks, and prayer. The whole place came to life--it was great! We even had elderly men "sword fighting" with balloon swords and hats! We also brought bags of clothes for all ages and some toys for the children. One little girl (probably about 2 years old) was walking all over the place with her new toy telephone, just holding it with a proud look on her face--it was so sweet. The kids were crying when we had to leave.

Today our group performed a "human video" for the 5th-11th grade chapel. It was a skit depicting people coming out of various addictions including drugs, adultery, and alcohol. Afterward, we prayed one-on-one with about 60 of them and even saw some salvations take place. Even some of the teachers from the school came forward with tears in their eyes.

We also visited the children's ward of the local hospital today. From the moment I set foot in the door, I could sense a spirit of fear and despair, and it only got more intense as we approached the children's wing. There was a stray dog in the hall, a used syringe and blood on the floor. The ceiling had more dripping leaks than I could count, and whatever ceiling tiles weren't missing were warped with mold. In Honduras, many people only go to the hospital after every home remedy has been exhausted, and that usually means it is too late. There were babies with pneumonia, tumors, and more. I prayed for one baby who didn't have any adult present; he had bugs in his bed and a leak from the ceiling dripping on his arm until we moved him. The missionary said infants like him are often abandoned when they are brought to the hospital. It was heart-wrenching, but I have a lot of faith in our awesome God and the people He has in this city.

The sight of our clowns and balloons really brightened things up. We held the babies in our arms and prayed for them to be healed in Jesus' name. We hugged kids and prayed with them. The parents were very receptive to our presence and thanked us for coming to pray and love on the children. One image I can't get out of my head was one of our lady clowns embracing one of the mothers who was crying after the clown shared her testimony with her and prayed with her. The woman didn't want to let go. It was a powerful time for everyone, and I am expecting every one of those children to experience a miraculous turn-around from our Father.

We will be here until the 26th, so I'll send another update later.

God bless!
--Art--

Ministry Update!

Hello friends!

If you haven't noticed, I took a little sabbatical last month.  Here's the latest news:

• Robin and I are having a baby!  The due date is March 8th, and we couldn't be more excited about this new little addition to our family.  We truly appreciate your prayers and support during Robin's pregnancy.
• The book I wrote about the Word of Knowledge is expected to publish in April of next year.  Destiny Image Publishing also signed me on for a second book titled "Empowered Creativity," which is about half-done right now and will likely be published early in 2012!
• I just finished helping run a Vacation Bible School program at my church where 52 children dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ--22 of them for the very first time!  Our God is amazing!
• My summer sabbatical will continue until September, when the blog and podcast will resume.
• In a couple weeks, I will be ministering in Honduras with Bridge Ministries.  I still have to come up with $850 to cover the trip, so please pray that God would provide for our financial needs.  The trip will be held from August 16th through the 26th.

Actually, I would like to ask you, my readers, if you would be willing to help make this trip a possibility.  As you know, I really don't ask for money or support from this web site.  But in this situation, I have an opportunity to minister God's love and power to hundreds of people in Honduras, and Robin and I have paid as much as we can afford at this time.  If you want to know more about what we will be doing in Honduras, I'll share that in a moment.  But if you're the type who just wants to give, simply skip down to the bottom to find out how you can help make this trip a reality.

For most of the trip, I will be working with the school and the youth center.  According to the Bridge Ministries web site:

The center, Enlaces [translated 'Connectors'], is designed to appeal to young people who generally spend their free time in discos, bars and on street corners. The youth center has become a starting point to build bridges between the youth and Christ.

A typical night brings in 600-700 young people between the ages of 12-25. Young people are entertained with games such as foosball, ping pong, super Nintendo, basketball, soccer, volleyball and billiard tables. Activities are stopped every hour for five minutes to allow someone from the ministry team to share a testimony of a life changing experience. Each young person is given an opportunity to accept Jesus into their life. About 2,500 young people have heard the gospel message by the end of each week.

The main goal of the youth center is to reach the youth of Honduras in a way that they will be able to understand and respond to Christ's love and salvation.

Additionally, our group will be traveling to the local hospitals to minister to the sick and dying and pray for their supernatural healing in the name of Jesus.  We're expecting a great move of God's Spirit and many salvations and healings!

So, if you want to help out, here's what you can do:

• Pray!  Pray for the ministry that will take place.  Pray for the children and youth who will be hearing and experiencing the Gospel.  Pray for the patients at the hospital, that God would raise them up before we even get there!
• Support.  There are three ways you can give.  First, if you would like your donation to be tax-deductible, simply make a check out to "Northville Christian Assembly" with "Honduras" in the subject line, and mail it to:
  
  Northville Christian Assembly
  Attn: Art Thomas
  41355 Six Mile Rd.
  Northville, MI 48168
  
  Or, if you don't care about taxes, you can make the check out directly to "Art Thomas" and put "Honduras" in the subject line.  That can be mailed to the same address.  Alternatively, you can give directly on this web site through PayPal by following this link.

By making the check out directly to me, Robin and I can use anything above and beyond the $850 to help cover the extra expenses related to launching my first book, so every penny will be used for ministry.  This would be a tremendous blessing because it means that we will be able to use our regular income to cover the cost of our growing family and all the expenses of the new baby.

If you have followed this site for any time, you know I wouldn't ask for funds if it wasn't truly necessary.  If you can afford to help out, it would be a tremendous blessing.

Thanks for taking the time to read our update!

God bless,
--Art--

Unmasking the Word of Knowledge

I received a phone call from Destiny Image Publishing last week, and it looks like my first book will be published by this time next year! A few weeks ago, I included an excerpt in an article about how you know when you have received a Word of Knowledge. Now you can hear a little more!

In this week's Truthcast episode, you will get to have an exclusive sneak peek at the introduction to the book! Check out Episode 18: Unmasking the Word of Knowledge.

God bless,
--Art--

Miraculous Healing - Pray for Salvation

Our God still works miracles! Today I received a phone call from my parents who couldn't wait to share a testimony of God's power.

A man was added to the prayer list at their little Tennessee church who had been in the hospital after a serious accident. Not even 40 years old and now brain dead, the family was faced with the impossible decision to take him off life support, which they did.

My parents and their church prayed for the family as requested. My mom said she felt in her spirit that this man was supposed to live, so she prayed that God would heal him and raise him up. The next day, the man--no longer braindead and dying--was fully awake and walking around!

I want to invite you to pray with us for salvations in the man's family. A physical miracle like this shouldn't go without spiritual results. Please pray that the Holy Spirit makes opportunities to share the Gospel with the family and that they are receptive.

God bless!
--Art--

Tyler Johnson, One Glance Ministries - Final Thoughts

Today we finish our audio interview with Tyler Johnson of One Glance Ministries. As always, this fourth episode in the series is an opportunity to hear something unique from our guest regarding his passion and the heartbeat of his ministry.

This being the last episode in this series, if you'd like to hear more testimonies from Tyler, check out his book: Stories of the Supernatural, available through Amazon.com.

Please enjoy Episode 17: Final Thoughts with Tyler Johnson.

God bless,
--Art--

The Truth about Signs and Wonders

I often get asked about the many "strange" signs and wonders that happen in some Charismatic church gatherings--things like feathers and gemstones falling out of the air, the appearance of what seems to be "manna" (the bread the Israelites ate in the desert), people receiving gold teeth, and people being spontaneously covered in gold dust or oil. For the most part, I have stayed away from these topics on this site because I find them to be divisive; but I have an angle of the conversation that I believe needs to be addressed so that we can move on to maturity.

This debate seems to have two sharply contrasting views. People either wholeheartedly support these little miracles as signs from God or they outright reject them as tricks of the devil. Few, it seems, are those with the discernment (or maybe the patience) to wade through the muddy waters and distinguish what is actually happening.

Let me start by pointing out the negative side of the debate. There are many well-meaning Christians who will say, "Where is that in the Bible? I've never heard of anyone receiving a gold tooth in the Word of God. Peter and Paul didn't have gemstones mysteriously appear in their meeting. Jesus didn't have feathers raining from heaven during the Sermon on the Mount. If there's no biblical precedent, then it's not from God."

I've never really been able to buy into this argument. Imagine the disciples on the Day of Pentecost saying, "I never read anything about tongues of fire in the Torah--this is obviously not from God!" Or how about the Old Testament people who didn't even have a written book to consult? How would you have responded when Aaron's staff budded and blossomed without any written precedent?

All throughout the Bible, God has worked diverse miracles for one generation that aren't seen in the next generation. For example, God parted the water for the Israelites, but not for Jesus--instead, He walked on top of it!

Doesn't it make more sense to believe that our God is still sovereign and that He is still creative? Shouldn't we expect Him to still work miracles that no one has ever witnessed before?

But don't take all this as though I'm endorsing all these strange signs and wonders without reservation. To do so would be to ignore the warnings of Christ to keep watch:

Matthew 24:24--For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. (NIV)

Just because signs and wonders are happening doesn't automatically mean that God is at work. In fact, since Jesus promised that these signs would be performed in such a way as to deceive "the elect," it stands to reason that they may even be done in Jesus' name. Just because the name of Jesus is attached to a sign doesn't mean He is actually in it.

Matthew 7:22-23--Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (NIV)

I have noticed that many Charismatics (at least in America) carry a stronghold of gullibility rooted in the wounds of their past.

Many people who believe what we believe do so because they are convinced that our God is supernatural and still works today through His Holy Spirit (a good belief to have, by the way). As a result, many of us have had spiritual experiences that others have questioned. Many of us have beliefs that make others upset. And in response to this "persecution," many of us have determined in our hearts never to wound anyone else by rejecting them the way we have been rejected.

The result: we buy into everything. If Jesus gets an honorable mention, or if it happens in a church meeting, then it must be from God. To question it would be to reject others just as we have been rejected for what we know to be true. We think we're being loving; but in reality, we're just drinking the Kool-Aid.

Not every miracle is from God. Not every miracle worked in Jesus' name is from God. Not every miracle worked by a Christian is from God.

What if Jesus--while He was fasting in the wilderness--had given into the temptation of Satan and commanded a stone to become bread? Even though Jesus worked the miracle, it would have been a work of the enemy. I am convinced that Satan is still tempting believers to turn stones into bread, so-to-speak. He is tempting many--even Christians--to perform works that God has not authorized. And since we Charismatics are so hungry for miracles, signs, and wonders, we joyfully jump into shark-infested kiddie-pools with both feet.

Does that mean all miraculous signs are bad? Of course not. The reason criminals make counterfeit twenty-dollar bills is because there are real twenty-dollar bills. What use would there be in making a thirty-dollar bill? No one would be deceived by it! In the same way, Satan only counterfeits and perverts that which is real, in an effort "to deceive even the elect..." Don't let the presence of the false scare you away from searching for the true.

What matters is that we keep our focus on Christ and seek the Holy Spirit for discernment.

Now, let me bring another concept into the mix: 1 Corinthians 13:7 says that love "always trusts." And since we are commanded to love even our enemies, then shouldn't we trust everyone who performs a miracle?

There is a difference between trust and gullibility; and there is a difference between discernment and skepticism. The people on opposing sides of the "signs and wonders" debate tend to battle in the realms of gullibility and skepticism, which are sharply at odds. God's intention is that we function in trust and discernment, which go hand-in-hand.

Gullibility says that everything is true until proven false. Skepticism says that everything is false until proven true. The two mindsets will never agree in spiritual matters without a person changing uniforms and fighting for the other side.

On the other hand, consider trust and discernment. Those who follow these virtues say, "I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and search the Scriptures to prove you true (like the noble Bereans in Acts 17:11). But if what you say doesn't sit right in my spirit, and I can't find any biblical reason to believe you, then I'm not going to embrace for myself what you have to say. I won't outright reject you, but I will be cautious in this one area until God shows me otherwise."

Do you see the difference? Gullibility and skepticism divide the church, whereas trust and discernment unite us. The first two deal in the realm of fear and knee-jerk reactions to the experiences of our past. The second two require death to self and unity with Christ in His patience, love, and passion for unity.

I have personally experienced many strange signs and wonders--unexplainable wind while indoors, angelic appearances, a word from God written in the sky, and more--but I don't usually share these things. It's not because I am afraid of rejection, but rather because I don't want to force those who are ruled by skepticism or gullability to fall into sin.

And when people share their stories of miraculous experiences with me, I give them the benefit of the doubt and believe that it's true. Love always trusts. Nevertheless, I won't be swayed into thinking more highly of that person than I ought to, and I won't be deceived into searching for another sign rather than simply drawing near to God. As Jesus said, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign!" (Matthew 12:39). I trust and I discern; but I don't reject people, and I don't buy into them hook, line, and sinker.

Miracles, signs, and wonders happen. Some are from God, some are from the enemy, and some actually are coincidence. That's just a fact we'll have to deal with. The question is how we will respond to the people who witness or perform these signs. Will we be skeptical? Will we be gullible? Or will we seek the Lord for discernment and determine in our hearts to trust one another with the love of Christ?

You decide.

God bless,
--Art--

Raising the Dead with Tyler Johnson

In today's episode of the Truthcast, you will hear five modern stories of God raising the dead through ordinary Christians like you or me!

My guest once again is Tyler Johnson, who leads One Glance Ministries. Part of Tyler's ministry is networking people together into what they call "Dead Raising Teams" or "DRTs." Today you'll hear how all that got started.

I first heard about Tyler's passion for raising the dead in his book Stories of the Supernatural: Finding God in Walmart and other unlikely places, which is a great resource of testimonies that can build your faith.

Be encouraged today as you listen to Episode 16: Raising the Dead with Tyler Johnson.

God bless,
--Art--

Receiving a Word of Knowledge

I received a question from Beth, who asked, "How do I know if I have received a 'word of knowledge?'" Hopefully, by the end of this article, you'll know how simple it really is.

This is a tricky question in several ways. First of all, the term "word of knowledge" only shows up once in the entire Bible. Second, that one occurance doesn't define it, but rather merely acknowledges that it is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Third, because of these first two issues, varrying unique definitions abound, so I'm never quite sure what a person means when they say "word of knowledge."

I'm guessing this question was inspired by my recent podcast interview with Tyler Johnson about the Word of Knowledge and Evangelism. The timing was great for me, though. Why? I'll let you in on a little secret: I recently finished writing an entire book about the Word of Knowledge, and it is currently being reviewed by a well-known publisher here in the States (which is pretty exciting to me, to say the least).

As far as I know, it's okay for me to do this since the book isn't published yet, but I may have to remove it later. Anyhow, here's a brief excerpt from the text that should give some insight into understanding how to receive a word of knowledge.

In America, we hear the word "knowledge" and think of mere facts. The contestant who wins several weeks in a row on Jeopardy is clearly the one with the most knowledge, right? Well, that may be how our culture understands the word, but that's not what was intended when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 12.

For the Greeks, to have knowledge of something was to have a certainty based on experience or personal interaction. For instance, to have knowledge of Christ didn't mean merely knowing facts about Him; rather it meant that you had a relationship with Him. In fact, Paul hailed from the Hebrew culture, where the word "know" implied deep intimacy. Consider Genesis 4:1, which says in the King James Version, "...Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived..." Clearly, "knowing" was a matter of being intimately acquainted.

So Paul--a self-proclaimed "Hebrew of Hebrews"--wrote to the Greeks with a very healthy understanding of the word "knowledge." He wasn't talking about the Holy Spirit revealing trivia. Rather, we're dealing with Christ's intimate involvement in the world. As the old song goes, "Jesus knows all about our troubles." He "knows" because He himself suffered in every way we ever will.

Isaiah 53:3—He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not (NIV).

Hebrews 4:15—For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin (NIV).

So when someone says Jesus knows what's going on in your life, it's not simply that He's aware. He truly knows. He's been there, and He struggles right alongside you.

This affects our definition of the Word of Knowledge because it means we're not just getting "information" from Jesus, but we're also getting the heart to go with it.

When you receive a Word of Knowledge, you find yourself truly "knowing." It's bigger than a simple fact popping into your head. You actually know the information as if you had been there to personally witness it.

In the book, I then continued with this example:

I once taught a class to a group of men and women who were about to serve as staff at a camp for foster children. The session was about letting God heal the hurts in our own lives so that we're more effective at soothing the hurts in the lives of others.

I really only spoke for about twenty minutes--describing the biblical work of sanctification and inner transformation. Then I opened the floor up for questions before stepping into a time of practical application and ministry.

One woman raised her hand right away. I quickly found out she didn't really have a question. Rather, she must have been so stirred by the teaching that she couldn't wait any longer for the ministry time.

"I was hurt at a church. The pastor said some harsh things about me, and the whole congregation turned on me. I just don't know if I can really forgive them and trust another church!" she said.

Up until this point in my life, I had never really experienced a Word of Knowledge. God had used me to prophesy, speak in tongues, and interpret tongues; but the Word of Knowledge was something about which I had only ever read. Nevertheless, while this woman spoke, a strange thing happened.

As she briefly mentioned that church, I suddenly had absolute certainty that she was in the right. She truly didn't deserve the treatment she had received at that church.

To be honest, my logical brain was saying, "She probably deserved it--there's no way a pastor and an entire church would do this without justification." But there was this strong conviction in my heart that she just wasn't at fault and didn't need to carry the guilt of what had happened to her.

So when she finished, I replied, "It wasn't your fault."

That was it. I didn't go into some great detail; I simply said it wasn't her fault. But this wasn't enough.

"Others have said that before, but how can I know it's true?" she asked, genuinely seeking an inspired reply.

Suddenly, I was certain of something else. I responded, "Because this didn't just happen to you at that one church. I have the feeling it happened to you at three different churches. Is that true?"

Tears welled up in the woman's eyes as she slowly nodded "yes."

I then said, "Jesus was there at all three churches, and He knows it wasn't your fault."

The woman sobbed. I placed my hand on her shoulder and prayed for her. Those sitting around her prayed too. God dramatically set that woman free from years of hurt in one instant; and the tool He used was the Word of Knowledge.

It wasn't that I simply had facts--the information came with conviction and a gut feeling that "this just isn't right!" My emotions were stirred as if I had watched the entire scene play out myself. Jesus knew all about her situation, and the Holy Spirit took that knowledge and made it known to me.

It didn't require a voice from heaven, a vision, a dream, an angelic visitation, or anything else. I just somehow knew. I had never met this woman before that day--nor had I ever heard anything about her--but I simply knew what had transpired in her life. It's not because I'm anything special. It's simply because Jesus had been there, and the Holy Spirit let me experience what Jesus knew about the scenario. As a result, I simply knew.

This is the most foundational form of this spiritual gift. It's not the result of reading the Bible or seeking revelation in a time of prayer. It's simply the sudden realization that you truly know something that you couldn't possibly know apart from spiritual intervention.

Obviously, having written an entire book on this topic, I can't share everything here. Nevertheless, to answer Beth's question, I will add that a Word of Knowledge can come in the form of a thought, a dream, a vision, a sensation, an impression, or several other ways. The common thread is that no matter how it comes, you find yourself simply knowing something that you couldn't possibly know except that the Holy Spirit revealed it to you.

I hope this helps, Beth. Let me know if it raises further questions.

God bless,
--Art--