John Piper – Are you in a church or a club?

Sounds good? Listen again!

Spiritual discernment is the ability to judge things rightly (spiritually), it’s the ability to see beneath the surface of things that appears ok but is actually not. If anything, we are always advised not to live by the tested sight we see daily instead, we are to make decisions and live by the truth from the understanding of the Word of God. 

You need a discerning Spirit so that you can: 

- Walk in the will of God: WHY? So that the Lord can be your shepherd as in PSALM 23 because in today’s world there are a lot of people that would like to replace the will of God in your life into their own will. What is God saying to you? Judge your actions by biblical standards and pray that the Lord sends someone to show you if you are in doubt just like Philip assisted the Ethiopian eunuch. 

- You can distinguish between the truth and deception: Looking at Acts 16:16-40, you can tell that someone’s ability to call you out of the blue and tell you what happened in your past without knowing you does not mean they can tell the future nor does it mean they are from God. If it sounds very good, please listen again!  

- You can recognise deception that leads to sin: Genesis 3:4 the serpent used the truth to teach error.

Sharpen your discerning abilities by:

- Learning the right language: Hebrews 4:12, Joshua 1:8  The Word of God and meditation is the best source to understand the language that will sharpen your discernment abilities, without the Word embedded in you, all forms of doctrines may throw you off guard. So you really need to study to show yourself approved as advised in 2 Timothy 2 verse 15 and you will find that the word of God will judge the very thoughts of your heart. 

- Practice! Practice! Practice! In Hebrews 5: 12-14 we are encouraged to grow up! We should stop this bad habit of only accepting the little basics given to us to achieve earthly desires but grow up and seek to know more and testing what we know against the scriptures like the Berean Believers did. This will help us practice good, kind and Godly living as our ability to manage our free will is strengthened by God through His Word.

Your destiny, your life and all you count important has already been decided and it’s all supposed to work out perfectly well. How do I know? Jeremiah 29:11 (Amplified Bible) 11For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. 

Defend what is yours folks, even Jesus had to, for He was promised all the things He already had (spiritually) even before He physically had them, in an attempt to destroy the work He came to do. He had to do that so that we can too, that’s why in His letter to us, He said:

John 16:33 (Amplified Bible) 33I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

What say you?

While on a prison visit in the past week, we had a UK rap artist with us to share the Word with the inmates. Boy did we have a blessed time, Judah a member of a UK rap team had similar history with the inmates we were visiting and through his lyrics, he was able to pass on the message of the Gospel. Reading from John 5:5-7, Judah encouraged the inmates about Jesus and how He always waits for us all to see how much He loves us, standing, waiting and knocking on the door of our hearts. 

John 5:5-7 as you may know talks about a man who had an illness for over 38 years and could not get his healing even though he was located very near the place that many came to get their healing. The bible records that even when Jesus asked him if he wanted to be well, he did not say yes straight away, rather he started blaming his inability to be well on others who wouldn’t help him or who were too caught up in getting their own healing that they would give him no regard in any way and sometimes even push him out of the way to get what they wanted.

It appears that at times, we stay in the same spot always looking at other people who may have (or may not have) contributed to our misfortune or negative situation. I for one pointed fingers at a particular person whom I totally thought was there for me but later realised they actually didn’t care, it was all a façade. Did I let that stop me? NO! I refused to sit down on the same spot nursing an old wound. I refuse to allow one of the enemy’s arrows in form of someone I trusted make me hang around the same place so much that I will be consumed by it. Hanging out with friends, tells you who is still pointing fingers when you hear them say, he/she is the reason why this and that happened to me. I can’t do this because of what I experienced through a similar situation. I can’t trust someone that close ever again because of this sad experience.

Well, no one ever drives a car looking at the rear mirror, you only glance at times to ensure you are not heading right into the same thing. Let’s stop talking about the experiences, let’s leave it all to God now and ask for grace to move beyond and answer by saying YES, I WANT TO BE HEALED & FREE. So, what say you?