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--

Creative Miracles with Tyler Johnson

Do you need a miracle in your physical body? God can do it! Today's episode of the Truthcast is all about Creative Miracles, which God uses to do the impossible in people's lives.

During this interview, my back was healed! Three bulging and degenerative discs were made right as Tyler Johnson and I prayed in the name of Jesus. In fact, Tyler didn't know anything about my back but felt led to pray specifically for degenerative discs.

That's one of the ways the Holy Spirit works! God wants to heal you also, so let these testimonies show you what is possible and receive your healing as we pray for you in Jesus' name.

Check out Episode 15: Creative Miracles with Tyler Johnson

God bless,
--Art--

Difference between Spiritual Gifts and Talents.

I received a great question last week from William, who asked, "What is the difference between spiritual gifts and natural talents?"

The answer is really very simple. Natural talents reveal your human ability whereas spiritual gifts reveal Christ's supernatural ability.

That's the answer; but if you want some explanation, read on!

This concept comes from the words of Jesus Himself:

John 16:13-15--But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. (NIV, emphasis mine)

I wrote about this verse on a page about the Definitions of Spiritual Gifts. Here is an excerpt:

The key is right there in the middle: Jesus said the way the Holy Spirit works is to, "take from what is Mine and make it known to you." This is essential when it comes to the gifts of the Holy Spirit because it gives us a sound, Biblical foundation for all our definitions! The Holy Spirit takes something from Christ and reveals it to us!

Natural talents, on the other hand, are things that come from within ourselves. They may be born out of genetics, hours of practice, culture, training, or some other natural means. The Holy Spirit can certainly empower those talents and make them more useful for the Kingdom of God, but they are not spiritual gifts.

Unlike gifts of the Spirit, which reveal Christ, our natural talents tend to reveal us. We use our talents to express ourselves, to show the frail human love within our own hearts, and to try to affect others in one form or another.

Some of the Spiritual Gifts that are often mistaken as natural abilities are leadership, helping others, administration, and encouragement. But I want to show you that many of us have done Christ a disservice by ignoring the supernatural potential in these gifts!

Consider, for instance, the gift of giving--or "generosity" as some versions translate it. Anyone can give, and some people like to give a lot more than others. There are plenty of philanthropists and nice people in the world. But typically, their generosity is only a reflection of their own personality rather than a revelation of Christ.

A young woman came to my church several years ago from Japan. She said she was on a "spiritual quest" to find God and had fled her country to escape the atheistic pressure from her family. She stayed with my pastor’s family for a number of weeks.

On her journey through America, she attended a church in Minnesota where one of the believers felt led by the Holy Spirit to give her a robe (hold onto that thought--there's a purpose for it).

While she was with us in Michigan, our church held a retreat, which she joyfully attended. One of the lessons was about the Prodigal Son (in Luke 15:11-32). In short, the story is about a young man who leaves home, takes his share of the inheritance early, and squanders it on wild living. Finally coming to his senses, he returns to his father hoping to at least live as a servant in his house. But the father sees him from a long way off, runs to him, and embraces him! He gets his son a new robe, a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. Then he throws the young man a big party to celebrate his return. The story is meant to show us how God the Father welcomes us when we repent of our own sinful lifestyles.

At the end of the lesson, we gave each participant an inexpensive ring as a reminder of how much God loves them. Unbeknownst to any of us, this woman from Japan prayed in that moment, "Well, God, I have a new robe from Minnesota and now a ring; but I'll really know You love me if You give me sandals just like the son in the story."

That same day, the Holy Spirit spoke to one of the teenage girls from our church. I bet you can guess what He said! Yup! She felt led to buy this woman some shoes!

Not even knowing what size shoe to buy, she made the purchase and delivered them to this woman. That's when the tears started flowing and we learned the rest of her story about the robe, the ring, and what she had prayed.

As you can see, this was no ordinary generosity! A "gift" of giving takes place when Christ supernaturally reveals His love through a Christian as the Holy Spirit prompts him or her to give. It is Christ's generosity being supernaturally made known through the Holy Spirit in a believer.

The same goes for the rest of those gifts that might seem natural. A gift of hospitality, for instance, has nothing to do with one's natural ability to take care of people and make them feel welcome. Rather, it is the result of the Holy Spirit revealing Christ's love through a Christian to make someone feel supernaturally embraced and welcomed. See the difference?

And you don't have to have a foundational talent in order to demonstrate that particular gift. I have zero administrative skills; but four months after becoming a youth pastor, I found myself needing to administrate an overnight event that involved collection of money, organizing a bus, finding a bus driver, keeping the kids together, supervising behavior, and getting everyone home safely. Needless to say, I cried out to God for a gift of administration! I knew that if the Holy Spirit would empower me with Christ's administrative ability, then the weekend would be great. Sure enough, things went off without a hitch! Not only that, but a handful of the teens accepted Christ as Lord and Savior! Can you imagine how ineffective I would have been apart from that spiritual gift? I know I can!

Spiritual gifts refer to any way that the Holy Spirit makes Jesus known through us to bring Him glory. Again, spiritual gifts reveal the ability of Jesus, whereas natural talents reveal the ability of you. Honor God with your talents, and eagerly desire spiritual gifts.

Before closing, I want to share three special links with you. First is a list of 31 Biblical Spiritual Gifts. Second, if you are interested in discovering what your spiritual gifts are, take our free online spiritual gifts test. And third, if you are looking for some solid teaching about how to use your spiritual gifts most effectively, check out "Understanding, Activating, and Practicing Spiritual Gifts," which is the most requested teaching on this site. It is available for a $2 gift, or else you can request it for free by e-mailing me.

1 Corinthians 14:1a--Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts... (NIV)

God bless!
--Art--

The Word of Knowledge and Evangelism with Tyler Johnson

Episode 14 of the Truthcast is now live, and my guest is Tyler Johnson of One Glance Ministries. Today we'll be talking about the spiritual gift known as the Word of Knowledge and specifically how it relates to evangelism.

Tyler is the author of Stories of the Supernatural: Finding God in Walmart and Other Unlikely Places.

Your faith is sure to be built as you listen to some of Tyler's many testimonies in the next few episodes!

Check out Truthcast 14: The Word of Knowledge with Tyler Johnson.

God bless,
--Art--

Bill Johnson Shares his Heart

In this week's Truthcast, we have a unique opportunity to hear what the Lord is presently speaking to Pastor Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, California. Check out this week's Truthcast:

Truthcast 013: Final Thoughts with Pastor Bill Johnson

Pastor Bill has written several books, including one of my favorites, When Heaven Invades Earth. Check out some of his other books as well:

(If you cannot see the above series of books and links, please click here.

I hope you enjoy this week's episode!

God bless,
--Art--