Day of Praise

Wed, 01/18/17, "Day of Praise"

John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." - Luke 3:16

This is John the Baptist speaking. He is different from John the Apostle, who wrote the Gospel of John. John the Baptist most likely knew what he knew about Jesus through special revelation. John the Apostle most likely knew most of what he knew about Jesus directly from Jesus. 

Special revelation is when you know something, but you don't know how you know it. 

God has always wanted to give us the treasure of special revelation. God gives it in the form of wisdom that helps us counsel our children and friends and in the form of knowledge that we often call discernment. The fruit of such wisdom and knowledge is peace, which like the wisdom itself and the knowledge itself is a peace that passes all understanding. In other words, through the Holy Spirit, God wants to give us a wisdom that's beyond our understanding, a knowledge that's beyond our understanding, and a peace that's beyond our understanding. 

In sum with special revelation, we have wisdom and knowledge and peace, but we don't know how we have it. It's beyond explanation. It's a "God thing."

God wants to give these spiritual gifts today. For you to receive them, as God gives them, there are two things that you need to do, both of which are acts of surrender to the work of God's Holy Spirit. In other words, when you do them, you must realize that you couldn't do them unless God had worked them in you by His Holy Spirit. So praise God for them. 

That being said, the two things you must do to regularly receive the special revelation of wisdom, knowledge and peace is to believe that they exist and to pursue them more than you pursue material treasure. 

Here are some key Bible verses to encourage you to believe in and to pursue these spiritual gifts, remembering always to give credit and praise to God. 

2 Chronicles 1:10 - "Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

Psalm 49:3 - My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

Proverbs 2:6 - For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Isaiah 11:2 - The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD—

Daniel 2:21 - He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Luke 21:15 - For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

1 Corinthians 12:8 - To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit...

Colossians 1:9 - For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

God wants to give these spiritual gifts today. Believe they exist; pursue them; and praise God who alone can give them!

Praise God!