Bishop Eric Menees
One of Gifts of the Holy Spirit
that works hand in hand with the gift of the Utterance of Wisdom is the gift of
the Utterance Knowledge. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Now there
are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of
service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is
the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the
manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through
the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,” (1
Corinthians 12:4-8)
The Utterance of Knowledge is the
supernatural revelation of facts from the past, in the present, or in the
future. It comes when the Holy Spirit speaks to a person’s heart, addressing
something in a brother’s or sister’s life with the purpose of building up that
person in the Lord. This could be everything from speaking to the need for
reconciliation, the need to act in a given situation, or the need to prepare
for something that is coming in the future.
From time to time the Holy Spirit
will speak to my heart, giving me a word of Knowledge to share with someone.
When I prepare for a confirmation or ordination service I spend the night prior
to the service praying for the candidate and asking the Lord if He has
something to give to me to share with the individual. When in prayer during the
service, I will generally speak in tongues over the candidate and then share
with them what the Lord has put on my heart. I am always thrilled when
the individual can confirm what I shared. Of course, the true test of all of
the gifts of the Holy Spirit is shown to be true by the fruit they produce.
Have you ever felt that nudge from
the Holy Spirit that gives you special insight into a person's life, but then
remained silent for fear of being wrong and making a fool of yourself? I would
encourage you to risk looking the fool, because the Lord may be asking you to
speak life into the heart that individual. If it is of the Lord, the person
will soon know it, and if it is not – well then, nothing ventured, nothing
gained. As I generally say to someone: “Let me know if this is of the Lord, or
if this is indigestion.” That little bit of humility acknowledges that we may
be wrong. If we are seeking the Lord and seeking to love our neighbor, then I
trust that the Lord will use us for His honor and glory!
I pray you all a truly blessed week
ahead.
Catechism Questions 165 - 168
165. How is God
like earthly fathers?
Like all loving and sincere
earthly fathers, God loves, teaches, and disciplines us, observing our needs
and frailties, and planning for our maturity, security, and well-being. (Psalm
103:12-14)
166. How is God
unlike earthly fathers?
Unlike our natural fathers, our
heavenly Father is perfect in his love, almighty in his care, makes no errors
in judgment, and disciplines us only for our good. (Hebrews 12:4-11)
167. What is
heaven?
Heaven is the realm of God’s
glory, presence, and power, which exists alongside this earthly realm, and from
which he hears the prayers of his children. (1 Kings 8; Isaiah 61-6; Revelation
21:1-5a)
168. If your
Father is in heaven, can he help you on earth?
Yes. God is everywhere, and as my
almighty Father in heaven, he is able and willing to answer my prayers. (Psalm
99; Isaiah 6; Ephesians 3:20, 4:6)
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