Gifts of the Holy Spirit 6

The Word of Wisdom

by Pastor John Hamel

We are studying the three Revelation Gifts.  The three Revelation Gifts reveal something. 

We have seen the Word of Knowledge.  We have learned that it has to do with the past and/or the present, only. 

In this study we will look at the Word of Wisdom. 

The Word of Wisdom is a Supernatural revelation from the mind of God.  It is unrelated to human wisdom.  It has to do with people, places, events or things.  It always, and only, deals with the future, never the past or the present. 

Let’s look at an example of the Word of Wisdom from the Ministry of Jesus.  Here Jesus is instructing Peter as to how they were going to pay their taxes.  Jesus is doing the talking. 

“Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them [the tax collectors], go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.” (Matthew 17:27)

Peter did as he was instructed.  Lo and behold, it was exactly as Jesus said it would be.  The very first fish that Peter caught had a coin in its mouth.  Jesus knew that it would be the first fish.  He said so.  He knew it would have a coin in its mouth.  He said so.  Actually, the word Jesus used for coin is “stater.”  That is a coin that is equivalent to approximately $4.00 plus, today.  That was exactly enough money to pay both Jesus’ and Peter’s taxes.  

Jesus knew that this was going to happen just ahead of Peter.  That is why what Jesus predicted would be classified as a Word of Wisdom.  The Word of Wisdom always, and only, has to do with the immediate or distant future.

The Word of Wisdom is considered by many to be the greatest of all nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Greatest because it reveals what God would have someone to do and oftentimes how it will turn out.  Greatest because it actually reveals future events.  What could be greater than God revealing His future plans to someone?  

What could possibly be greater than Almighty God actually giving someone direction right from His Throne Room in Heaven?  Now that’s GPS.  And I don’t mean Global Positioning Satellite.  I mean God Positioning Saints.  God Positioning Saints for success.

Suddenly I Was in the Presence of Jesus Again

In 1984 I was making plans to move immediately from Las Vegas, Nevada to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to attend Bible School.  

One morning an individual approached me and offered to write me a check for ten thousand dollars to foot the entire bill.  The moment that offer was made, down in my gut I knew something was wrong. I went to the Lord about it and while on my knees in prayer, I was suddenly caught up in a trance. 

Once again I was being allowed by Almighty God to see into the spirit realm.

While in the trance I found myself standing on an ocean dock in what appeared to be a tropical environment.  It appeared to be some sort of paradise. There were palm trees everywhere, a blue cloudless sky, bright sunshine and a cool ocean breeze. 

Looming before me was a giant white sea-going vessel in dry dock.  It was a bit of a “rust bucket” actually.  There were many men seated in captain’s chairs hanging over the sides from ropes, scraping and painting all over the massive white, rusted vessel.  

I'm not sure how long I stood there watching in fascination as the men worked diligently to prepare this vessel for its voyage.  I had no idea in the world where I was. 

All I knew was I was experiencing great joy standing there in the sun of this unfamiliar paradise.

Suddenly I was aware of the Master, Jesus, standing directly beside me.  

I looked down at His hands and He was holding what appeared to be some sort of small pad and a pen-like device as if He were taking notes about something.  What He was holding could even have been Heaven's equivalent of an electronic device and a stylus.  After all, everything in Earth is just a replica of something in Heaven. (Romans 1:20)  

Looking back at the men working I then asked Jesus regarding the rusty, unprepared vessel, “What is it?”  

He answered, “It’s you.”  

I knew immediately Jesus was speaking analogously. He was telling me that the huge ship represented me being prepared for something He had in store.  

I knew when He said that to me, whatever I was being prepared for, I was simply not yet ready for it! 

So I just asked Jesus outright, “When will it be ready?”  

Jesus answered very kindly, “In nine months.” 

I should have been disappointed but somehow disappointment just never seems to be an option when you’re in the presence of Jesus.  Unless you're being rebuked.  

I felt pretty good standing there beside Him in the sun looking at that giant vessel symbolizing me in my rusty, unready condition.  

Suddenly I came out of the trance as quickly as I had entered into it.

I was still on my knees just as I had been prior to the trance. I may only have been caught up in that paradise for a matter of earthly minutes but it sure felt much longer while I was there.

I now knew that Jesus had just personally told me that I would not be going to Bible School until the next year. This, of course, was a Word of Wisdom because it concerned the future.  

In the trance it was also revealed to me that I was presently an unready vessel for His purpose.  This was a Word of Knowledge.  It is not unusual for the Word of Wisdom and the Word of Knowledge to operate together. 

As I stood beside Him in this paradise, Jesus was telling me to not go to Bible School immediately as I had planned.  His plan and purpose for me was to wait and go the following year.  I was not to leave Nevada and go to Oklahoma for another nine months.  He needed to do further work in me before I would be ready to fully benefit from the Bible School experience.  

I obeyed Him and the metaphorical rust scraping and painting continued over the next nine months.  

I also knew in my heart that I was to refuse the ten thousand dollars offered. In the natural this might have been a very difficult thing to do.  But having been in the presence of Jesus and realizing it was not His will for me to take the money, there was a supernatural grace imparted to me to decline the offer, which I did. 

As it turned out, that individual was trying to make improper inroads into my life with that money and soon became my enemy. The Lord knew this would occur and was protecting me from being controlled by someone.

The following year I proceeded to Bible School as He had instructed.  

Ultimately, over the next two years, four families paid my tuition, housing, transportation and all other expenses.  I never told one of them my needs nor asked any of them for anything.  The Lord put it on their hearts to generously do this for me. This put me in position to where I did not have to work full-time and I was able to benefit greatly from my studies.  

When it's God's direction, it's God's protection.

When God guides, God provides.  

When it's God's will, it's God's bill.  

When it's God's decision, it's God's provision.

Had I gotten ahead of God's timing, taking the ten thousand dollars and disobeying what Jesus had shown me in the vision, I would have been one sunken vessel! 

But because I obeyed what He had revealed to me in the trance, He was able to protect me and provide for me!

Obedience always opens the spout where the supernatural protection and provision comes out.

Human Pride & Human Accomplishment Are Never a Basis for Answered Prayer 

When I was a much younger Christian I had a friend who had been a Missionary in a foreign nation for 40 years. My friend was at least thirty years my senior when he and his wife returned home because he became ill. He knew nothing about God’s Scriptural promise to heal him, because he simply had never studied in this area. He was a good man and a Godly man who gave his entire adult life to sharing Jesus Christ on the mission field.

Because of his illness, my friend was unable to properly communicate. I would go visit him, sharing from the Bible the Doctrine of Divine Healing.  He was very excited about what he was discovering from the Bible. His faith level for healing was soaring and I knew if we could continue with our studies together that he would indeed be healed.

Sadly, his wife became offended and very upset with me when she discovered what I had been sharing with her husband.  She told me, in essence, “God is not going to heal my husband because of anything you are teaching him from the Bible. God will heal my husband because he has been serving Him for 40 years on the mission field. He doesn’t need a young whippersnapper like you to teach him anything about the Bible.”

To the despair of both myself and my sick friend, his wife literally threw me out of their home. She informed me in no uncertain terms that I was to never return again. 

I was dumbfounded.

One evening soon thereafter, I was on my face in prayer. The Lord clearly spoke to me in His authoritative voice, “(Friend’s name) will be dead within six weeks if they don’t get the unbelief out from under that roof. Call them and tell them.”

I was quite upset that the Lord was telling me to confront my friend's family, but I knew beyond all doubt that I had heard His voice and that I had no alternative but to obey.  

I do not mind saying that I did not enjoy the idea of having to tell my friend's family what the Lord had told me.  However, I did exactly as I was instructed.  I called them and told them exactly what the Lord had said.  His son became very angry with me, openly mocked me and flat out rejected the Word of the Lord before hanging up on me.

Exactly one day short of six weeks later, my dear friend went to Heaven prematurely, even as the Lord told me he would without repentance.  

He went exactly at the time the Lord told me he would and for the very reason the Lord told me he would.

His wife and son had rejected the written Word of God and implementation of proper prayer principles on his behalf.  

They could have gotten into faith, turning his situation around as he was more than willing for them to do so.  However, they wrongly chose human pride, human accomplishment and unbelief over the written Word of God.  

Human pride and human accomplishment are never a basis for answered prayer.

Almighty God was doing His best to get my friend's family out of pride and unbelief and into humility and faith, in order to save his life. 

The Lord had given me a Word of Wisdom concerning an avoidable tragedy that was coming in the immediate future, but they simply would not listen. 

They cut him off from his source of faith and cut his very life short by doing so.

The Word of Knowledge and the Word of Wisdom can come to us in many ways.  They can come through a dream, an inward picture, an open vision, a trance, God’s still small voice, God’s authoritative voice, a simple inner knowing, through other human beings, through an angel or even through Jesus Himself delivering a Word to someone such as He did with me. 

For more examples of the Word of Wisdom and other Gifts of the Spirit in operation in my personal life and Ministry, please read my personal testimony and Prophet's Guidebook called "The Albuquerque Fire Pit and Other Divinely-Granted Visitations that Changed My Life Forever."

Visit our tuition-free JHM Online Bible Training Centre for fifteen detailed lessons on Supernatural Guidance. 

However these Revelation Gifts come into manifestation, if we will obey what God is revealing, we will get the blessings and God will get the Glory.

In our next lesson we will study the third of the three Revelation Gifts, the Discerning of Spirits.

Be Blessed … John and Barbara Hamel

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