DAY 1
30th March, 2018.
Lawal Kolade M. (Convener)
English, by the virtue of the dictionary, would give you a dictate of what it has come to know about knowledge, Experience would suggest to you its conception of knowledge, Education would narrate its own stance about what we should conceive about knowledge. But as much as they all would do that, they do it in fragments, as an explanation of their composition.
Premise: A person that is born that has come to acquire details about his or her environment and yet, such details differ from yours based on the reason of difference in social, geographical and cultural situation. And such person does not have an inclination that his acquisitions is referred to in your term as ‘knowledge’. You reserve the right to say the person is Ignorant, but indeed is he?
It is understandable that we humans cannot all have the same ability. But in the case of knowledge, there is always an expectation that we ‘know’. This expectations that are sometimes intrinsic of all human has invalidated the needfulness to call knowledge an ability
Another example is this; you know that 2+2 =4, I then ask you, what is 2+2, you said 4, if I were to address the fact that you have me the right answer, would I say that you have the ability of 2+2 in you? No! I would say you have the “knowledge of arithmetic“. By that you would come to understand that knowledge is not an ability. If knowledge is not an ability, what then is it?
Knowledge is a phenomenon that is more internal than external, it is more psycho-sensual than physical, and it is more of a mechanism of our soul, the very facilitator that helps our spiritual personality to relate with the environment of our existence.
Sirs, and Mas, I am not disputing the stance of science, education or life generally on what we have come to know as knowledge, I am only shedding light on their abridged version of what we have been made to believe that knowledge is. How is knowledge a mechanism?
A mechanism is a medium of execution. More like the means through which something is achieved. And in the case of knowledge being a mechanism, it is to say that:
Knowledge is medium through which man, or humanity as a whole comes into alignment with his existential positioning or situation.
For example; Science agrees by the virtue of the laws of gravity that whatever goes up (on earth) must come down. This law has been in existence before man or scientists discovered it. After the discovery, it is then we are able to say: we know that whatever goes up must come down. This is to unveil that the man was able to acquire a mechanism of relating with the principles and laws that guides where he has been positioned, or where he is existing. Therefore he has the knowledge of science.
Another example is the fact that we grew up to know that our left hand is indeed our left hand, and our right hand is indeed our right hand, through the mechanism of realization. Which may have been informed by whether we were told or not, or we were taught. But we agreed it is what people around us have come to call it. Our agreeing with such does not portray an ability, rather it was a mechanism for us to relate with the world we have found ourselves and that we have come to know.
It is on the strength of these examples and premises that I can tell us that knowledge is a mechanism designed by God, for us to relate and come to term with his creation and the things he has situated us within.
DAY 2
31st March, 2018.
Pst. Femi Wilhem
Yes! I have followed greatly on what was taught yesterday and seriously was wondering what else to say a lot has been said already. However, I trust the Holy Spirit tonight. I will be very brief so we can take questions and prepare for service tomorrow.
Experiential knowledge
You will agree with me that not every knowledge is right. The fact that an information is true doesn’t make it right or useful. For example, if someone is sick and seriously in need of medical attention. If the doctor decides to explain to the sick person the root meaning and history of the sickness. Although the information is true but as far as we know, that knowledge isn’t useful. Because what the person needs is healing.
Having said that on a side, I equally want to speak more on the part of experience. Experience they say is the best teacher, however one has to be careful what type of experience to learn from this is because experience can become a great contribution to one’s belief system. For example, you have heard people say, Marriage is full of crisis and those who say it are talking from experience but my question is; does that mean every marriage is full of crisis? At that, such a bad experiential knowledge can form a wrong belief system for some people and they believe (accept) without experiencing it themselves yet that marriage is full of crisis.
Another example, in school, you’ve heard people say you cannot score an “A” in a course. Why? From experience nobody scores an “A” in that course. That becomes an information and remember knowledge comes from information, then it forms a belief system that limits students taking such a course. So I say again that, although it is said that experience is the best teacher, we should never allow it form a limiting belief system, even your personal experience at times can also limit you.
Let’s say that you’ve tried starting a business before but you failed. Then you wanted to start again. Something will tell you that you will fail again. That’s experience but that you failed before is not enough reason to say you will fail again, if conceded to, it is to say you are making your own experience a limiting belief system for you.
So then, how do we then take advantage of experiential knowledge. How do we then determine what experience is right and wrong, and this is exactly what I have been asked to speak about.
First, I want to say that in determining the right and wrong experiential knowledge. You need to understand life’s principles because what makes anyone fail actually is ability or inability to leverage on principles. Our world is designed to run on principles and not miracles, it is when principles are altered that miracles are needed.
So for example, when you learn the principle of gravity. You know that you do not need anyone to speak from experience that if you jump from a ten storey building you’re going down_ or do you need someone to? Even if someone comes to tell you that he jumped and then hung in the air. Your ability to know the principles of gravity makes you know that such knowledge won’t be what you should learn from, for it is a bad experiential knowledge.
So, once you know principles behind any matter. You know what experience is right and wrong as regards it, because what makes people fail is simply the violation of certain principles. And to know any principle. You need to know the principal. Because he created the principles.
Femi Wilhem: Alright…. It’s almost 9pm. Let me stop there and let’s take questions. So by that I can explain more things. Thanks for reading
+234 813 215 7321: Wow. I still feel, this is an intro. We need more of your insight to unfold the whole idea of what you’re teaching us sir. But even with this prelude I’m blessed. I’ve been able to learn that knowledge is a waste without experiences. I’ve also learnt that we not an experiential knowledge are right. Thanks so much sir.
Femi Wilhem: Yes… You’re right. An intro Time and chance won’t allow us go deeper. Any questions…. That could help
+234 813 215 7321: Yes I do have one sir.
Femi Wilhem: Go ahead ma/sir
+234 813 215 7321: What’s the relationship between revelational knowledge and experiential knowledge?
Femi Wilhem: Revelational knowledge is simple a revealed knowledge while experimental knowledge is exercised knowledge
+234 816 227 4919: My question sir. How can one increase and maximize his/her experiential knowledge
Femi Wilhem: John said that which was from the beginning which we have heard (information), which we have seen with our eyes and looked upon (revelation) and our hands have handed (experiential). It’s because of time. I could have taught on the stages or types of knowledge. Information is often the mental stage. What we call mental accent. I know by His stripes I’m healed but it has not become a revelation… It’s because I know because I read it or my pastor said it
That’s what we call Logos, then there’s Rhema. The written word (Logo) is now the revealed word (Rhema) at that level you’re almost there. At the Rhema. The Bible didn’t just say… You know it that by His stripes you were healed… Then it becomes experiential when sickness can’t stay in your body
Practice… All that Jesus began both to do and teach, you’ve got to act on what you hear, Act on what is revealed to you. When the bibles says they will cast out demons…. Go and look for demons to cast out and do it often
+234 813 215 7321: Wow. Powerful.
Femi Wilhem: I hope this is clear?
+234 816 227 4919: Yes sir. I grab that. God bless you sir. I suggest this should be arranged for a later date.
Femi Wilhem: Let me add that this is the reason… Meditation is very powerful and needful… You can graduate from information or mental knowledge to revelational where the eyes of your understanding are enlightened by meditating on the information. Once you can see it from the eyes of your heart… Experiential becomes easy.
+234 813 215 7321: Yes, please admin, I suggest we create another time for our speaker to take us on a journey of Knowledge teachings. He’s really full but time is a barrier.
+234 816 227 4919: This should be done soon sir
