The Need
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
Jesus warned us, in Matthew 24, that we should take heed that no man deceive us. In that same chapter, Jesus warned that there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. WE ARE LIVING IN SUCH A TIME TODAY! For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, a great wind of deception is blowing and a mountain is erupting. Now, who are the "elect"? all those who are born again? all those who are baptized in the Holy Ghost? We think not! Many are called ("saved") but few are chosen (as disciples, to walk in His kingdom on earth right now). That truth is all over Scripture, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. We must not interpret Scripture in light of a gospel which speaks only about being "saved" and going to heaven one day. That perspective quickly gets us into a swamp of misunderstanding. We must interpret Scripture in light of the kingdom of God. There is a big difference.
Discernment is that rather elusive gift that essentially every charismatic Christian believes that they have, but for many of us appears to be woefully lacking. That is a cause for great alarm. The charismatic community in the United States today is like "Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand" (Jonah 4:11). Yes, God, in his grace and mercy may spare the modern-day Nineveh. Yes, the saved will one day go to heaven, but they will never know what they missed here on earth, just like the 31,700 who did not qualify to be part of Gideon's army of deliverance.
Ezekiel 44, from which undoubtedly thousands of "sermons" have been preached, contains a contrast between the Levites who are allowed by the Lord to minister to the house and the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok. Although there is very much of prophetic significance for us in that Chapter, we will focus only on one verse.
If we interpret that verse in strictly an historical context, then it is of little value for us today. However, we believe the word of God is timeless and independent of any culture. Therefore the above verse has specific application to the time in which we live. As an interesting side note, Zadok had only one son, but the above verse speaks of sons, plural. We will not here go into the significance of that. The question is, what does that verse mean for you and me right now?
During Ezekiel's ministry on earth, the important task of declaring God's will on matters of clean and unclean food, the fitness of sacrificial animals, and ritual purity either had been done for pay (Micah 3:11) or had been neglected altogether (Jeremiah 2:8 and Ezekiel 22:26). Under the new covenant, and therefore in our day, we have the same counterpart, except with spiritual, not natural, matters; i.e., the presentation of clean or unclean spiritual food, our personal sacrifices which the Lord requires, and purity of the heart, or holiness. The preaching of the working of the cross in our life has been sadly neglected. As in every generation, and certainly today in the charismatic community,
Far too many of the "leaders" of the charismatic community have become multi-millionaires by selling their wares (tapes, videos, DVDs, books, etc.). We will not belabor the point here, but we have heard with our natural ears one mature (?) minister say, "Now it is time to take up an offering for me." We have heard with our natural ears another mature (?) minister say, "If I don't travel the money does not come in." At one meeting in a church, I almost overthrew the tables of the moneychangers for two "big-name" prophets (?) who were selling their wares. If you are looking for a word from the Lord, then,
Do you believe that we should have the nature of Jesus? How much money did Jesus charge for someone to hear Him teach or preach or to heal or deliver someone? Neither do I recall any Scripture when an offering was taken up for Jesus or when He asked for money. Consider the following verse.
The "prophetic" conferences aren't. They are not prophetical; they are "profitical." They are very profitable for the speakers. What a tragedy for the prophetic ministries! We must clean up and move on. We must not pretend we are clean when in fact we are dirty. The call of the hour for those who call themselves prophetic is "holiness unto the Lord". The Elijah List isn't. It is the pride of man to call something an Elijah List. The charismatic community today, as in every generation, is enamored with thrills, chills, and anything that smacks of the supernatural, no matter what the source. It was the same when Jesus walked the earth, as recorded in John 6. The tele-evangelists aren't. The Lord took me into the inner sanctum of one of the most prominent tele-evangelists many years ago. He invited me to a small, private meeting in his very large office. As I flew back home, I wrote him a very long letter, telling him why I could not work for him, regardless of the amount of money involved. One day, we will give an account for the money we gave to all of those places in the form of "offerings," not to mention the hundreds of millions of dollars poured into the pockets of the many tele-evangelists.
In the gospel according to John, we need to pay close attention to the orderly priority of the Chapters. John, Chapter 1, begins with the focus on the living Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. It establishes the centrality and supremacy of the Lord Jesus. Next comes the messenger from God named John the Baptist, who is sent to announce and proclaim Jesus. That is followed by John's witness to himself and others that he was not the one Israel was looking for. John pointed only to Jesus. The last of Chapter 1 contains the calling by Jesus of His initial disciples.
Chapter 2, verses 1-11, speak of the first miracle manifested by Jesus, turning the water into wine. That speaks of being born again. But notice very carefully Chapter 2, verses 12-17, which speak of Jesus initially cleansing the temple, when He overthrew the tables of the moneychangers. The significance of those verses is that the first aspect of sanctification of a believer (cleansing of the temple), after being born again, is to make sure we have the proper attitude toward money or materialism. Unless we have the proper understanding of the mammon of unrighteousness, there is no need to try to proceed any further on the road to the kingdom of God. "The love of money is the root of all evil"
Doves were required under Jewish law as sacrifices in some cases. But they were NOT to be sold within the temple. Note that Jesus not only overthrew the tables of the moneychangers. He also cast out ALL them that sold AND bought in the temple. Jesus said that the buyers and sellers were equally guilty! Today is no different than the time of Balaam or Amos or Jesus, except the doves have been replaced by books, tapes, CDs, DVDs, videos, and "prophetic conferences," designed to speak smooth, polished words to those who have no understanding or discernment, and to extract money from unsuspecting sheep! How have the buyers become thieves? By using the Lord's money unwisely!
Charismatic, Spirit-filled Christians have contributed to the perpetuation of current big-name prophets/preachers by buying their wares, going to the "conferences," and putting money in the offering plates. Many years ago, while I was at work, two men from a false religion knocked at our door. My wife, Linda, told them, "No thank you." They persisted and asked for just one penny. Linda told them goodbye. The Lord quickened to Linda that when we contribute one penny to a false cause, we become linked with them. Do you want to be linked to a deceptive religion? We have personally witnessed real men of God start down that slippery slope of embracing money with the wrong perspective. We have also seen the end result of those ministers many years later.
Consider the following verses.
Verses 15-20 speak about fruit as the measure of a true prophet. Fruit, of course, is the fruit of the Spirit! Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit. Fruit of the Spirit comes naturally by abiding in the vine or abiding in the tree of life. Fruit of the Spirit does not come from abiding in the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That tree produces works of the flesh.
Now consider Verses 21-23, above. Those Verses are a continuation of Verses 15-20. Jesus is not starting a new topic. There is a contrast between Verses 15-20 and Verses 21-23. Please note that Verses 21-23 do not speak about fruit but about works ... doing rather than being. Those Verses do not speak about unregenerated, unsaved sinners! They speak of those who are saved and baptized in the Holy Ghost but who are doing works of the flesh ... prophesying, casting out devils, and doing many wonderful works. How can that be, you may ask? In the same manner as the Lord allows the modern-day Levites to minister to His house (Ezekiel 44:10-14) even though they have committed abominations, fell into iniquity, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity. Note the iniquity of the leaders' in Ezekiel 44 is the same iniquity that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 7:23, above. In Verse 23, when Jesus will say to them, "I never knew you," He means He never approved you, or He never got to know you. That was because those workers of iniquity (and those today) were abiding in the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The Verses in Matthew 7, above, have nothing to do with being "saved" and going to "heaven" one day. They speak of qualifying for the kingdom of God. There is a difference!
Moreover, consider John the Baptist. Scripture never records that John healed anyone, delivered anyone, or performed and miracle. Yet Jesus said that there had not arisen a greater prophet than John the Baptist. All John the Baptist did was to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" and to point to Jesus. Compare John's "works" and his message to that of the "prophetic movement" of today.
The Solution
How do we avoid being deceived? How do we gain a measure of discernment so that we can know the difference between the holy and the profane and discern between the unclean and the clean? How may our vision be elevated and our understanding of the ways of the Lord be increased so as to keep our garments clean in these trying times? We suggest some basic steps toward discerning the difference between the unclean and the clean. "Discernment" is not automatic; it is a gift from God.
First and foremost, Where is my (our) heart? Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on our heart. Is my (our) purpose to glorify God or is it to get all of God's goodies for me? Do we groan in the Spirit and weep between the porch and the altar that the people of God might mature in Christ? Do we long for the will of God to be done? Are we abiding in the Vine? We have to get away from the "me-centered" perspective of Christianity. Christianity is never about me! It is about Him! We must try to see everything from God's perspective. Where is the preaching of the cross and the working of the cross in our life?
I read a short quotation recently from an old saint which said, "It is more important for God to be glorified than for me to be saved." Do you agree or not? Many long years ago, in a small gathering of believers in our living room, a woman said that she needed to confess something to the whole group. Immediately, the Holy Spirit brought John 8 to my mind. Sure enough, the woman said that she had committed adultery with her next door neighbor. She said, "Even though I have committed the unpardonable sin and I am cut off from the Lord for eternity, I am still going to serve Him on this earth." That is what I call commitment! Of course we quickly told the woman that she had not committed the unpardonable sin. She still serves the Lord to this day.
Second, do we see the need for greater discernment? My saintly grandmother once wrote in her Bible, "Lord let me create hunger in their heart; for unless they hunger they cannot be fed." If we are not hungry we will not eat. That is true both naturally and spiritually. Since almost every charismatic Christian believes they already have discernment, they see no need to cry out to God for that elusive gift. That is called deception.
Third, we must cry out to God that He enable us. The cry on our heart must be, "Lord, have mercy on me. Do not let me be deceived." That is part of what is meant by the Scriptural fear of God. There are those who "pooh-pooh" the word "fear" and say that "Perfect love casts out all fear." Those who fall back on that verse have missed the rest of the Bible. Neither do they interpret that verse correctly. It is true that IF we abide in the vine (walk in the kingdom) there is no fear of anything outside of the Kingdom. The fear of God is all over the Bible, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jesus Himself taught us that we should fear God (Luke 12:5).
There is a very close relationship between the proper fear of God and discernment.
Again, those verses do not speak of those who are "saved" as compared to those who are not "saved." The distinction is between believers and those who walk in the kingdom of God.
Fourth, we must have a thorough understanding of the meaning of Scripture, as revealed by the Holy Spirit. Doctrinally, almost every Christian denomination, as well as charismatic groups, at every level will say they believe that all of the Bible is true. The problem is with out faulty interpretation of Scripture, usually based on the "me-centered" approach. Devour the Word. Gather your manna every day for you and your family. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the deeper, personal levels of meaning.
Fifth, we must exercise our faith and practice, practice, practice.
Note that the Verse says to "discern both good and evil." It does not say to discern between good and evil; neither can it be translated that way. The sense of the Verse is that we need to be able to discern the difference between the works of the flesh and those pertaining to the kingdom of God. To do that, our spiritual senses need to be exercised.
In addition to the above five general requirements to have a measure of discernment, we suggest a few practical guidelines which may help us to discern both good and evil. These guidelines also have a solid, Scriptural foundation.
First, when we see a lot of Christians all going in the same direction, look at it carefully again. It is probably tainted with flesh. Jesus never worked with a multitude. Read John, Chapter 6, and look at all those who were following Jesus for the wrong reasons. Gideon's army had to be pared down to less than 1% of the original (people of God) for the real work of God to be done. Many are called but few are chosen. (That is not talking about being saved and going to heaven one day.) Why are few chosen? because few choose. Few choose the way of the cross. The sons of Issachar, men of understanding who knew what Israel ought to do, were very few in number.
Second, whenever any "leader" begins to acquire a "name" or becomes very popular, look at it very carefully again also. Jesus made himself of no reputation. Jesus said, "Woe unto you when all men speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets" (Luke 6:26). Jesus also said, "Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation" (Luke 6:24). There are many professional prophets and teachers today who have become multi-millionaires by selling their wares.
Third, the "localized" presence of God is totally non-scriptural. No one needs to go to Lakeland, Florida, or Toronto, or Pensacola, or a "prophetic conference" or anywhere else to receive healing, deliverance, etc., from the Lord. Jesus taught us that truth in numerous places, like John, Chapter 4. Furthermore, to go to a "school of the prophets" or to a teaching to learn how to be a prophet is utterly ridiculous! No man can teach another man to be a prophet. God sets the members, every one of them, in the body as it pleases Him.
Fourth, a big clue concerns money. Back in the glory days of our house church in the late 60's and 70's and into the early 80's, we had a principle (not a law) that our church would not give money to those who asked for it. Further, we never passed a collection plate. Any time you have to pay an entrance fee to attend some big "prophetic conference" (or any kind of conference) or even when they pass the offering plate, avoid it like the plague. We believe that the word of God is free but the word of man costs money. A number of years ago, some friends of ours told us they stopped going to an Assembly of God church near us when they passed the collection plate four times in one "service." Far too many Christian leaders coerce the flock to contribute lots of money to "their" ministry.
Fifth, every prophet in the Old Testament was a "loner." True prophets today definitely tend to be the same. They march to a different drummer. They are never popular with men. That is because they have been shaped by God to be tuned vertically, to the voice of the Lord, and not horizontally to man, as are pastoral ministries. They do not feed off of each other. They get their message directly from the Lord. That means there is no such thing as a "prophetic network." Neither is there a Scriptural basis for a "prophetic" conference. I went to a few meetings at a charismatic church a year or so ago. The pastor had brought in two "big name" prophets. They were very polished speakers and kept the audience laughing, but they had nothing to say. They were good entertainers. One woman told me that she liked prophet "so-and-so" because "He keeps me laughing." May God have mercy on us!
In Summary
The simplicity of the true gospel is that we are called to glorify God and to please him, to do His will, to walk in His light and truth, to walk with God as did Enoch, to fear Him, to love Him, and in all things to thank and praise His holy name, for without Him we can do nothing. That is all possible by the power of the Holy Spirit which dwells in you. When we set our will to line up with His will, then we will discern between the unclean and the clean. The choice is ours. Many are called, but few choose.
Discernment is that rather elusive gift that essentially every charismatic Christian believes that they have, but for many of us appears to be woefully lacking. That is a cause for great alarm. The charismatic community in the United States today is like "Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand" (Jonah 4:11). Yes, God, in his grace and mercy may spare the modern-day Nineveh. Yes, the saved will one day go to heaven, but they will never know what they missed here on earth, just like the 31,700 who did not qualify to be part of Gideon's army of deliverance.
Ezekiel 44, from which undoubtedly thousands of "sermons" have been preached, contains a contrast between the Levites who are allowed by the Lord to minister to the house and the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok. Although there is very much of prophetic significance for us in that Chapter, we will focus only on one verse.
And they [the sons of Zadok] shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
Ezekiel 44:23
If we interpret that verse in strictly an historical context, then it is of little value for us today. However, we believe the word of God is timeless and independent of any culture. Therefore the above verse has specific application to the time in which we live. As an interesting side note, Zadok had only one son, but the above verse speaks of sons, plural. We will not here go into the significance of that. The question is, what does that verse mean for you and me right now?
During Ezekiel's ministry on earth, the important task of declaring God's will on matters of clean and unclean food, the fitness of sacrificial animals, and ritual purity either had been done for pay (Micah 3:11) or had been neglected altogether (Jeremiah 2:8 and Ezekiel 22:26). Under the new covenant, and therefore in our day, we have the same counterpart, except with spiritual, not natural, matters; i.e., the presentation of clean or unclean spiritual food, our personal sacrifices which the Lord requires, and purity of the heart, or holiness. The preaching of the working of the cross in our life has been sadly neglected. As in every generation, and certainly today in the charismatic community,
11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? None evil can come upon us.12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.
Micah 3:11-12
Far too many of the "leaders" of the charismatic community have become multi-millionaires by selling their wares (tapes, videos, DVDs, books, etc.). We will not belabor the point here, but we have heard with our natural ears one mature (?) minister say, "Now it is time to take up an offering for me." We have heard with our natural ears another mature (?) minister say, "If I don't travel the money does not come in." At one meeting in a church, I almost overthrew the tables of the moneychangers for two "big-name" prophets (?) who were selling their wares. If you are looking for a word from the Lord, then,
Stop buying all of the books, tapes, CDs, DVDs, videos, etc., which are being sold by the professional teachers, preachers, "prophets", and musicians. Although they may have some truth in them, and may stimulate your soul, they hinder your growth in Christ. Stop going to all of the "prophetic" conferences which have an entrance fee and/or ask for your donations and offerings. Even the money you spend on gas alone is very costly and the trip will profit you little but will put more dollars into the hands of the "prophets." Instead, cry out to God for His grace and mercy and develop an intimate relationship with Him. Learn to recognize and obey His voice, not the voice of men. The Word of God is free! The money supply for the professionals must dry up! Come out of that professional, religious system before it is too late and the door is shut!
Do you believe that we should have the nature of Jesus? How much money did Jesus charge for someone to hear Him teach or preach or to heal or deliver someone? Neither do I recall any Scripture when an offering was taken up for Jesus or when He asked for money. Consider the following verse.
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her [Babylon]; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more. Revelation 18:11
The "prophetic" conferences aren't. They are not prophetical; they are "profitical." They are very profitable for the speakers. What a tragedy for the prophetic ministries! We must clean up and move on. We must not pretend we are clean when in fact we are dirty. The call of the hour for those who call themselves prophetic is "holiness unto the Lord". The Elijah List isn't. It is the pride of man to call something an Elijah List. The charismatic community today, as in every generation, is enamored with thrills, chills, and anything that smacks of the supernatural, no matter what the source. It was the same when Jesus walked the earth, as recorded in John 6. The tele-evangelists aren't. The Lord took me into the inner sanctum of one of the most prominent tele-evangelists many years ago. He invited me to a small, private meeting in his very large office. As I flew back home, I wrote him a very long letter, telling him why I could not work for him, regardless of the amount of money involved. One day, we will give an account for the money we gave to all of those places in the form of "offerings," not to mention the hundreds of millions of dollars poured into the pockets of the many tele-evangelists.
In the gospel according to John, we need to pay close attention to the orderly priority of the Chapters. John, Chapter 1, begins with the focus on the living Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. It establishes the centrality and supremacy of the Lord Jesus. Next comes the messenger from God named John the Baptist, who is sent to announce and proclaim Jesus. That is followed by John's witness to himself and others that he was not the one Israel was looking for. John pointed only to Jesus. The last of Chapter 1 contains the calling by Jesus of His initial disciples.
Chapter 2, verses 1-11, speak of the first miracle manifested by Jesus, turning the water into wine. That speaks of being born again. But notice very carefully Chapter 2, verses 12-17, which speak of Jesus initially cleansing the temple, when He overthrew the tables of the moneychangers. The significance of those verses is that the first aspect of sanctification of a believer (cleansing of the temple), after being born again, is to make sure we have the proper attitude toward money or materialism. Unless we have the proper understanding of the mammon of unrighteousness, there is no need to try to proceed any further on the road to the kingdom of God. "The love of money is the root of all evil"
(1 Timothy 6:10).
The event in John 2:12-17, when Jesus cleansed the temple, occurred toward the beginning of Jesus' ministry on earth and is not the same as the similar event described below, which occurred toward the end of Jesus' ministry.
The event in John 2:12-17, when Jesus cleansed the temple, occurred toward the beginning of Jesus' ministry on earth and is not the same as the similar event described below, which occurred toward the end of Jesus' ministry.
11 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,12 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. Matthew 21:11-12
Doves were required under Jewish law as sacrifices in some cases. But they were NOT to be sold within the temple. Note that Jesus not only overthrew the tables of the moneychangers. He also cast out ALL them that sold AND bought in the temple. Jesus said that the buyers and sellers were equally guilty! Today is no different than the time of Balaam or Amos or Jesus, except the doves have been replaced by books, tapes, CDs, DVDs, videos, and "prophetic conferences," designed to speak smooth, polished words to those who have no understanding or discernment, and to extract money from unsuspecting sheep! How have the buyers become thieves? By using the Lord's money unwisely!
Charismatic, Spirit-filled Christians have contributed to the perpetuation of current big-name prophets/preachers by buying their wares, going to the "conferences," and putting money in the offering plates. Many years ago, while I was at work, two men from a false religion knocked at our door. My wife, Linda, told them, "No thank you." They persisted and asked for just one penny. Linda told them goodbye. The Lord quickened to Linda that when we contribute one penny to a false cause, we become linked with them. Do you want to be linked to a deceptive religion? We have personally witnessed real men of God start down that slippery slope of embracing money with the wrong perspective. We have also seen the end result of those ministers many years later.
Consider the following verses.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.18 A good tree can not bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.21 Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father Which is in heaven.22 Many will say unto Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:15-23
Verses 15-20 speak about fruit as the measure of a true prophet. Fruit, of course, is the fruit of the Spirit! Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit. Fruit of the Spirit comes naturally by abiding in the vine or abiding in the tree of life. Fruit of the Spirit does not come from abiding in the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That tree produces works of the flesh.
Now consider Verses 21-23, above. Those Verses are a continuation of Verses 15-20. Jesus is not starting a new topic. There is a contrast between Verses 15-20 and Verses 21-23. Please note that Verses 21-23 do not speak about fruit but about works ... doing rather than being. Those Verses do not speak about unregenerated, unsaved sinners! They speak of those who are saved and baptized in the Holy Ghost but who are doing works of the flesh ... prophesying, casting out devils, and doing many wonderful works. How can that be, you may ask? In the same manner as the Lord allows the modern-day Levites to minister to His house (Ezekiel 44:10-14) even though they have committed abominations, fell into iniquity, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity. Note the iniquity of the leaders' in Ezekiel 44 is the same iniquity that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 7:23, above. In Verse 23, when Jesus will say to them, "I never knew you," He means He never approved you, or He never got to know you. That was because those workers of iniquity (and those today) were abiding in the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The Verses in Matthew 7, above, have nothing to do with being "saved" and going to "heaven" one day. They speak of qualifying for the kingdom of God. There is a difference!
Moreover, consider John the Baptist. Scripture never records that John healed anyone, delivered anyone, or performed and miracle. Yet Jesus said that there had not arisen a greater prophet than John the Baptist. All John the Baptist did was to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" and to point to Jesus. Compare John's "works" and his message to that of the "prophetic movement" of today.
The Solution
How do we avoid being deceived? How do we gain a measure of discernment so that we can know the difference between the holy and the profane and discern between the unclean and the clean? How may our vision be elevated and our understanding of the ways of the Lord be increased so as to keep our garments clean in these trying times? We suggest some basic steps toward discerning the difference between the unclean and the clean. "Discernment" is not automatic; it is a gift from God.
First and foremost, Where is my (our) heart? Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on our heart. Is my (our) purpose to glorify God or is it to get all of God's goodies for me? Do we groan in the Spirit and weep between the porch and the altar that the people of God might mature in Christ? Do we long for the will of God to be done? Are we abiding in the Vine? We have to get away from the "me-centered" perspective of Christianity. Christianity is never about me! It is about Him! We must try to see everything from God's perspective. Where is the preaching of the cross and the working of the cross in our life?
I read a short quotation recently from an old saint which said, "It is more important for God to be glorified than for me to be saved." Do you agree or not? Many long years ago, in a small gathering of believers in our living room, a woman said that she needed to confess something to the whole group. Immediately, the Holy Spirit brought John 8 to my mind. Sure enough, the woman said that she had committed adultery with her next door neighbor. She said, "Even though I have committed the unpardonable sin and I am cut off from the Lord for eternity, I am still going to serve Him on this earth." That is what I call commitment! Of course we quickly told the woman that she had not committed the unpardonable sin. She still serves the Lord to this day.
Second, do we see the need for greater discernment? My saintly grandmother once wrote in her Bible, "Lord let me create hunger in their heart; for unless they hunger they cannot be fed." If we are not hungry we will not eat. That is true both naturally and spiritually. Since almost every charismatic Christian believes they already have discernment, they see no need to cry out to God for that elusive gift. That is called deception.
Third, we must cry out to God that He enable us. The cry on our heart must be, "Lord, have mercy on me. Do not let me be deceived." That is part of what is meant by the Scriptural fear of God. There are those who "pooh-pooh" the word "fear" and say that "Perfect love casts out all fear." Those who fall back on that verse have missed the rest of the Bible. Neither do they interpret that verse correctly. It is true that IF we abide in the vine (walk in the kingdom) there is no fear of anything outside of the Kingdom. The fear of God is all over the Bible, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jesus Himself taught us that we should fear God (Luke 12:5).
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Hebrews 4:1
There is a very close relationship between the proper fear of God and discernment.
16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name.17 And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. Malachi 3:16-18
Again, those verses do not speak of those who are "saved" as compared to those who are not "saved." The distinction is between believers and those who walk in the kingdom of God.
Fourth, we must have a thorough understanding of the meaning of Scripture, as revealed by the Holy Spirit. Doctrinally, almost every Christian denomination, as well as charismatic groups, at every level will say they believe that all of the Bible is true. The problem is with out faulty interpretation of Scripture, usually based on the "me-centered" approach. Devour the Word. Gather your manna every day for you and your family. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the deeper, personal levels of meaning.
Fifth, we must exercise our faith and practice, practice, practice.
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:14
Note that the Verse says to "discern both good and evil." It does not say to discern between good and evil; neither can it be translated that way. The sense of the Verse is that we need to be able to discern the difference between the works of the flesh and those pertaining to the kingdom of God. To do that, our spiritual senses need to be exercised.
In addition to the above five general requirements to have a measure of discernment, we suggest a few practical guidelines which may help us to discern both good and evil. These guidelines also have a solid, Scriptural foundation.
First, when we see a lot of Christians all going in the same direction, look at it carefully again. It is probably tainted with flesh. Jesus never worked with a multitude. Read John, Chapter 6, and look at all those who were following Jesus for the wrong reasons. Gideon's army had to be pared down to less than 1% of the original (people of God) for the real work of God to be done. Many are called but few are chosen. (That is not talking about being saved and going to heaven one day.) Why are few chosen? because few choose. Few choose the way of the cross. The sons of Issachar, men of understanding who knew what Israel ought to do, were very few in number.
Second, whenever any "leader" begins to acquire a "name" or becomes very popular, look at it very carefully again also. Jesus made himself of no reputation. Jesus said, "Woe unto you when all men speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets" (Luke 6:26). Jesus also said, "Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation" (Luke 6:24). There are many professional prophets and teachers today who have become multi-millionaires by selling their wares.
Third, the "localized" presence of God is totally non-scriptural. No one needs to go to Lakeland, Florida, or Toronto, or Pensacola, or a "prophetic conference" or anywhere else to receive healing, deliverance, etc., from the Lord. Jesus taught us that truth in numerous places, like John, Chapter 4. Furthermore, to go to a "school of the prophets" or to a teaching to learn how to be a prophet is utterly ridiculous! No man can teach another man to be a prophet. God sets the members, every one of them, in the body as it pleases Him.
And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, He is there; believe him not. Mark 13:21
Fourth, a big clue concerns money. Back in the glory days of our house church in the late 60's and 70's and into the early 80's, we had a principle (not a law) that our church would not give money to those who asked for it. Further, we never passed a collection plate. Any time you have to pay an entrance fee to attend some big "prophetic conference" (or any kind of conference) or even when they pass the offering plate, avoid it like the plague. We believe that the word of God is free but the word of man costs money. A number of years ago, some friends of ours told us they stopped going to an Assembly of God church near us when they passed the collection plate four times in one "service." Far too many Christian leaders coerce the flock to contribute lots of money to "their" ministry.
Fifth, every prophet in the Old Testament was a "loner." True prophets today definitely tend to be the same. They march to a different drummer. They are never popular with men. That is because they have been shaped by God to be tuned vertically, to the voice of the Lord, and not horizontally to man, as are pastoral ministries. They do not feed off of each other. They get their message directly from the Lord. That means there is no such thing as a "prophetic network." Neither is there a Scriptural basis for a "prophetic" conference. I went to a few meetings at a charismatic church a year or so ago. The pastor had brought in two "big name" prophets. They were very polished speakers and kept the audience laughing, but they had nothing to say. They were good entertainers. One woman told me that she liked prophet "so-and-so" because "He keeps me laughing." May God have mercy on us!
In Summary
The simplicity of the true gospel is that we are called to glorify God and to please him, to do His will, to walk in His light and truth, to walk with God as did Enoch, to fear Him, to love Him, and in all things to thank and praise His holy name, for without Him we can do nothing. That is all possible by the power of the Holy Spirit which dwells in you. When we set our will to line up with His will, then we will discern between the unclean and the clean. The choice is ours. Many are called, but few choose.
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