THE NEED FOR DISCERNMENT Series #4

Knowing the Truth

The way that you spot a counterfeit is by being very familiar with the real thing. Then the deceit loses its sublety and becomes blatantly obvious. The same is true when it comes to knowing the Truth. False teachings become obvious, and evil spiritual motives will be detected and exposed without giving in to fear of any kind.

Is there a discipline for developing discernment of the Truth? Yes. Join centuries of Christian faithful by learning to pray the Scriptures.

Here is a place to start:

• Read Psalm 145.
• Make sure you understand the message of praise and worship.
• Pray through the psalm making the inspired words of God your words of praise back to Him.

Some other Psalms to pray through include: 1,23,24,25,45,51,84,90, and 139.
After you work through these you will discover others or portions that are meaningful to you.

Another essential method of developing discernment is to pray through Bible passages that form your identity in Christ. We need to undo spiritual hindrances from our soul and spirit through forgiving others their offenses against us, and seeking forgiveness for known and unconfessed sins. We also need to renounce hindering beliefs and lies that we have come to believe about ourselves. This is called "demolishing strongholds," (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

Then we need to form our new identity as one set free by the Savior. So pray through passages that fill you with the truth of who you are in Christ.

- Read Ephesians 3:16-21
- Make sure you understand, or at least accept, that Jesus wants to form this in you through the Holy Spirit.
- Pray through the passage and let those words soak into to your mind and heart.

Look at how powerful these verses sound in the Amplified version:
16 May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].

17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

If you pray through those verses over the next couple of weeks you will begin to discern, experience and know the truth because the Truth is dwelling within you.

THE NEED FOR DISCERNMENT Series #3

Love in the Time of Politics
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 1 Corinthians 13:6

In recent news a pastor in Florida had announced he would burn copies of the Qur’an on September 11. He wanted to announce to radical Muslims that their hatred and violence toward the US would be met with the sharp rebuke of destroying what they held in high value. He did not follow through in the end.

In my point of view, that pastor, was not making a statement of faith in Christ but a political statement and perhaps at the same time making a declaration of faith in a civil religion. Basically what he did was use his position as a Christian minister to voice a sense of injustice. But he ended up reducing his faith to the level of the radical hatred of his opponents.

Here is a look at a more effective response:
(Love) is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 1 Cor 13:5-6 (Amplified)

Note that the word “love” is described as “God’s love in us.” This is a good translation from the Greek word agape which can only be expressed by the Holy Spirit within us.
On our own strength as people we fall short of this class of prevailing, truth-producing, hope-satisfying, peace-making love.

A better response than burning Qur’ans would be to build a school for Muslim children or give wheelchairs to their disabled. The military has the duty through the government officials to confront the terrorists. Therefore we must pray for our national and military leaders. We must also pray for our enemies. We must pray that the Church represent the Kingdom of God effectively and not be bound up by political and personal agendas.

Discernment of truth and righteousness requires knowledge of the Word of God, inspired by the insights from the Holy Spirit, and confirmed in the Body of Christ. That is when the love we express will prevail.