WE NEED AN INCREASE OF THIS GIFT!
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WE NEED AN INCREASE OF THIS GIFT!
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The gift of discerning of spirits is one of the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:10.
To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit…to another distinguishing between spirits… (1 Corinthians 12:8-10 NIV)
This gift of the Holy Spirit is the supernatural enabling to perceive the source of a spiritual manifestation or message to determine whether it is of God (Acts 10:30-35), of the devil (Acts 16:16-18), or of man (Acts 8:18-23). It is not mind-reading, psychic phenomena, or the ability to criticize and find fault. It is a gift that is available to all followers of Christ so that we can discern more accurately and pray more effectively.
It is only when we have a heart of love for others and a desire to obey the Lord that this spiritual gift becomes a great blessing and safeguard for believers. Rather than relying on our human understanding and what we perceive with our natural senses, the gift of discerning of spirits enables us to perceive that which is pure in spirit, evil in spirit, or of a fleshly spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us to rightly identify any masquerading angels of light, false teachers or prophets, counterfeit messages, or those messengers who are simply misguided and worldly-minded. This is not given for us to gossip, pass sentence, or be mean-spirited, but rather to be discerning watchman who pray effectively and report more accurately.
This is critical in our time because of the increase of counterfeit messengers and messages. This is something that we are exhorted to operate in if we are to safeguard the integrity of the Gospel and champion the right causes. When character is suspect or motives come into question, we can rely on this supernatural gift to help determine what spirit is at work behind the scenes.
Jesus did this numerous times in His earthly ministry. In order to rightly identify those who were pure of heart and those who weren’t, Jesus would operate in this gift to either commend or challenge the state of one’s heart.
But Jesus, knowing (perceiving) their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? (Matthew 9:4 ESV)
But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. (John 5:42 ESV)
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1:47 ESV)
Jesus was constantly discerning the hearts of His followers, distinguishing the source of their motives and ambitions. In this way, He could rightly judge (call in question, separate) who was with Him and who wasn’t. He even called out one of his closest friends, Peter, when perceiving his intentions were not of the Lord.
But when Jesus turned and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” He said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Mark 8:33 NIV)
Why is this important? I believe Jesus was demonstrating the kind of “judgment” we are to exercise, in order to accurately distinguish what kind of spirit is at work in the unseen realm. This can only be done through the working of the Spirit when one is totally surrendered to God’s purposes (John 7:17-18).
In the familiar Hebrews passage (4:12) we are told that the word of God divides soul and spirit and helps to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Jesus is the Living Word who is still alive and active, revealing truth to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Though it is not our part to condemn or sentence anyone, it IS our charge to rightly distinguish the heart and spirit of a matter before we embrace it or align with it.
This is a gift that has been either misunderstood or underutilized in the Church today. It is a resource and gift that Jesus gave to us through the Holy Spirit so that we could know His voice more clearly and His message more accurately. This is something we can ask for, both personally and corporately. With the rise of counterfeit messengers and twisted versions of the truth, God has given us His Spirit by which to rightly know His heart, His intentions, and His plans. Let us pray for an increase of this gift to operate in the body of Christ to discern more accurately the messages we hear and the people we follow so that we can be in perfect alignment with God’s heart, character, and His eternal purposes for the sake of the Kingdom.
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (1 Cor 2:12 ESV)
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Comments
Excellent article! Particularly appreciate the delineation of MOTIVE, OBEDIENCE and ATTITUDE of the HEART as critical factors in RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT. Thank you.
[…] but harmful. Inclusive but in reality very exclusive. It is time to be in the Word, pray for discernment and wisdom, and take action–our communities need the Christ in […]
Lord, You made blind eyes to see, lame to walk, deaf ears to hear, so we ask that You give spiritual understanding to those who have none. Enlighten the eyes of their hearts. Give them the wisdom to understand the spiritual realm. To receive the gifts of the spirit that are theirs as they give their lives to You. Bring clarity to them, that are still walking in blindness, those who have no concept of what the spiritual gifts are all about. Take away all the deceptive lies of the enemy & reveal Your truth to them. In Jesus Name! Amen!
Thank you Brother Maynard, I agree with you about putting on the whole armor of God. Another perspective on “having your (loins) girt about with Truth” speaks about the “loins” being the private parts of your life. Our secret areas that sometimes stay hidden, but not from our LORD who wants to shine His light into, so we can be made complete through God / Jesus Christ. He is so awesome and good to us!
MARANATHA – our LORD = (property owner) comes!
I have a problem with the “watering down” of the scriptures which leads to deception of the saints. Many Christians in times past complained about their paranoia of having a “Holy Ghost” with a “personage” in the room with them, as “His” presence made them uncomfortable. Since the KJV Bible was written with God’s favor and anointing, many of the “interpretation” Bibles written since that time have removed the powerful infilling of the Holy Ghost with a sweet, delicate, and un-intimidating holy spirit that threatens no one. Read about Ananias and Sapphira in (Acts 5:1-11.) Today, all denominations believe the Holy Spirit is “all” things to all people, as it’s up to the persons taste and opinion as to what they believe.
The KJV Bible was the original “English Translation” of the Greek and Hebrew Texts and is written in old English which is said to be out-dated and hard to understand. Not so! I’ve been reading the KJV for nearly 39 years and have had little to no problem understanding the words or context of God’s word to mankind. The LORD led me at the beginning of my conversion to get a Webster’s Dictionary to define the words I didn’t know, and that has proved to be an amazing adventure. For instance…In the New Testament, the disciples are “Born Again” by the Holy Ghost of God entering into them at their conversion to Christ in bringing them from spiritual death to “life” as Jesus breathed on them, and opens up their spiritual understanding to understand the scriptures. (John 20:19-22 , Luke 24:45) There are two definite levels of operation of the infilling of salvation, and the infilling of power and presence of God’s Holy Ghost. When God has total control of His child’s life in humility and submission, God will fill them with the super-natural power of the Holy Ghost and fire along with (speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives them utterance) as a sign of His coming into the person. Tongues have been misused, counterfeited, and abused, but that does not negate the fact it is real. “Counterfeits can be passed off, until the genuine shows up and stops the fake.”
In Acts 2: There is a different blessing when the Holy Ghost is poured out in power on believers as a “fire” inside them as He spoke through them in “other tongues” as the personage of God / Christ Jesus filled them with His presence.
Does it really matter if we have or don’t have the real power of the Holy Ghost operating in our lives today, as our nation leads the world in total depravation? Only His power and discernment can get us through this world of deception and lawlessness. We need to get back to the original scriptures and find out for sure as deception has engulfed the church. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) I do not believe the LORD saved us so He could walk with us in our sins. He saved us so we could walk with Him (away) from our sinful (past) as He leads us in purity and holiness to eternal life. (Revelation 22: 14-15) Maranatha – our LORD comes!
I agree that watered down scripture is a foul stench in the nostrils of God Almighty. The most flagrant abuse I have come across is the “Jefferson Bible” which is supposed to be the culmination of Thomas Jefferson’s 20 year study of the books of the Gospel. From what I could tell all He did was strip out all the miracles Christ performed overtly squelching of the Holy Spirit…
I commend you for diligently studying and rightly dividing the Word and sharing on this website. Time is fast approaching when those who have the Word stored in their hearts will be the ones to shine it on a dark and troubled world. Discernment will be our “point man” as we transverse the minefields of satan.
Although the battle is the Lord’s we must do our part daily donning the Armor of God. The Holy Spirit blessed me with the following poem for putting on the Armor per Ephesians 6:10-18:
First the helmet of salvation purchased with Christ’s precious blood
Then the belt of truth to keep me safe from satan’s vicious lies
Next the breastplate of righteousness woven with His love
And the shield of faith for from the tomb my Savoir did arise
Then the shoes of peace so I may run where the faint have never trod
To carry forth my two-edged sword – the awesome Word of God
Heavenly Father, Thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit that You have given to help true believers operate in Truth and be fully effective for Your Kingdom in this dark world of satanic influence and especially in these last days. Holy Spirit, thank You for being with us always, You never leave nor forsake us. Teach us, please, to seek all Your gifts for this time in history. We are in real need of the ability to fully operate in the gift of discernment to be completely aware of Satan’s devices and who is real and who is of this world as Satan operates in deception. Thank You, Lord Jesus for coming to show us the way. You said it was necessary to leave so the Holy Spirit could come to live in us and help us. Help your church to seek all the gifts and help us operate in Your agape love always. Glory be to You,Elohim, forever. In Jesus Precious Name Amen
99% of the world has NO CLUE re: the Spiritual Realm (Divine or Evil)! Thus the ‘Discerning of Spirits’ & what to do against ‘Evil Realm’ is Non-Existent by the Vast Majority of Mankind! Just like the Devil designed it & keeps it in play – as the Dark-Realm keeps mankind Enslaved / Bondage to Ignorance & Desires of their own Flesh & Political Focus on whatever the *Underworld* wants for the *Anti-Christ* (NWO) Agendas! The Lost Carnal World apart from God – calls this “ENLIGHTENED” – “BRILLIANT” – MAN NEEDS TO REIGN AS “DEMI-gods” > starting with A.I. & TRANS-HUMAN HYBRIDS > IN ORDER TO *ASCEND* !!!
Jesus we need this more than ever. So many Christians being led astray because of not knowing Your Word. Help us all to be discerning about You & what is happening today & strengthen us by Your Word. Help us to go by what we know is right instead of our emotions or what others think we pray in Jesus Name.
Heavenly Father, may the gifts you give be received and utilized that you may effectively increase in and through us. I pray for your gift of discernment; that first Your Spirit will reveal to us our own hearts; reveal areas for repentance to receive Your forgiveness through Christ our Lord; areas that need alignment for You to reign. You convict with compassionate mercy that we may choose to receive and obey for Your purpose. I pray for discernment among us Your people, revelation of truth that stems from hearts surrendered to Your Will. I pray we recognize the motive, heart and spirit of words/actions. Guard our hearts from deception. Thank you for your amazing goodness. May Your Will for Your Kingdom come.
Teach me LORD to decern, by Your Spirit, LORD.
Ask and you shall receive. You have asked, now receive. Lord may your army discern in one voice and call out the deceiver as You reveal him to us. Empower us to stand up to the one who would disguise himself as an angel of light that we may remind him he IS NOT God. Reveal his corrupt intentions that we may come against it in the power of your Holy Spirit. amen
Thank you.