How my journey started
I began attending a Nazarene church in 1984. After a few visits I asked Jesus to come into my heart and I received salvation. After being a very active member for seven years, I felt like there was more to Christianity. I was missing out on something. Not long after that a new friend told me about receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. My church didn’t teach about the Holy Spirit or His gifts. So, I asked God if this was of Him, to let me know.
The Holy Spirit answered my question
That Wednesday night my pastor had an emergency and was called out of town. One of our elders spoke in his place. He told of an elderly lady friend who was known for her long prayers as she knelt by her bed each night. One night she called him because she was speaking “gibberish” and asked him what it was. He told her she was speaking in tongues. He told our congregation that he didn’t speak in tongues, but knew about it from Paul’s teaching in Acts. So, he decided to preach about it. I knew instantly that the Holy Spirit just answered me through that man.
Making Changes
The next Sunday, I began attending the non-denominational “Spirit-filled” church where my new friend, the pastor’s wife, attended. I was excited about the Holy Spirit, so I enrolled in a Bible college. In school I learned a lot about the history of the Bible, Hebrew words and phrases, and the Psalms. I even learned about the Temple, and Paul’s letters pertaining to how the church was established. What I didn’t learn was anything that had to do with the Holy Spirit. Let alone how to operate in the supernatural gifts.
Introduction to the supernatural gifts
The first time I ever received what is commonly called prophecy was when a prophet, Dr. Johnnie Blount, came to speak at my church. I didn’t know he was a prophet at that time. Having recently received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, I had not yet learned about the nine spiritual gifts given to the body of Christ. After the prophet “prophesied” (gave Words of Knowledge and Wisdom) to several people, including myself, I knew it came from the Holy Spirit and I was in awe.
The Holy Spirit spoke through me!
Not long after hearing the prophecies, I heard a prophecy for my pastor’s wife in the voice of the prophet, Dr. Johnnie Blount. It was so good and I wanted to tell her immediately. But was concerned I wouldn’t remember it by the time I could call her. So, I asked the Holy Spirit to bring it back to my remembrance and He did! I wrote it down word for word just as I had originally heard it and it filled an entire page. After that I began to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to me occasionally, but didn’t recognize that I was operating in spiritual gifts. Then circumstances came to pass which caused me to join Dr. Johnnie’s ministry.
Knowledge is key
I know now that without knowledge of something, it is difficult to operate in it. It wasn’t until I learned about salvation that I received it. Once I learned about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, I received it and began to speak in tongues. It wasn’t until I heard the prophet function in the gifts; that I began to operate in the gifts of the Word of Knowledge and Wisdom.
What are these supernatural gifts?
Many people confuse prophecy with the Word of Knowledge and The Word of Wisdom. Prophecy is one of the three Utterance gifts: prophecy, diverse tongues, and interpretation of tongues. It is simply speaking edification, exhortation, and comfort to another (1 Cor. 14:3).
The Gifts of the Word of Knowledge and Word of Wisdom are two of the three Revelation gifts: The Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom, and Discerning of Spirits. They are called the Revelation gifts because they are the only gifts that must be revealed by the Holy Spirit to you. The Word of Knowledge is a revelation from the Holy Spirit that tells facts about the past or present.
The Gift of the Word of Wisdom is a revelation from the Holy Spirit concerning the purpose and plan of God for the future. These gifts reveal to us what we do not already know. They are unknown to us naturally, but revealed to us by the Holy Spirit supernaturally. These are the gifts I function in often.
More to come
I have more to share about my experiences with operating in the supernatural and more information that explains about the nine spiritual gifts. See Part 2 for more.
If you would like to learn more about the Holy Spirit and His gifts, visit Be the Word Kingdom Academy https://btgacademy.thinkific.com/ for resources that will assist you in your journey to experience the power of God working in you.