Discernment

Discernment is the ability to make accurate and smart judgment.  Life requires us to make decisions or judgments. It demands discernment to make the right choices. As believers, we ought to make accurate judgments, in this life.

God wants us to listen to His instructions, so that He can use our bodies for His purpose on earth, since He is a Spirit. Today we are learning about how to be the instruments that God can use. Just like there were many women in Israel but only one was used to feed Elijah, we need to have discernment so that we can be used for God’s purpose on earth, for that special assignment. Discernment is not about the intellect or education; it’s about the Lord and what He can do.

The Lord already wants us to have Him in place prior to the action, to help us refrain from goofing around and making bad mistakes in life. There is always a need to ask God what He wants us to do in each and every situation. He never makes mistakes, we ought to always walk with and be led by Him. It is not His will when we are in wrong situations. God has already made the way and given it to us, but the ability to discern the way and how to walk in it is what we usually miss, and end up walking in mishaps and mess-ups. People have failed because they do not ask God what He wants for every situation, and instead tell God what they want.

Are there times that we have heard God accurately and done the right thing? Are there others when you missed out on God and messed up? How can you do things differently? Be determined that from today you will receive with accuracy the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Discernment gives you power to see what is not evident to the average mind. We are not average, we are above average. Discernment will help you to see what an average mind cannot see. May the Lord help all of us to have discernment, as this will keep us from walking in mediocrity and being average people. For us to have spiritual discernment, we need to have Biblical principles. What Has God said in this or that?

If it’s not backed by the word of God, it is the wisdom of the world. If a decision is backed by the word, and you have discernment, you cannot go wrong. Many Christians stumble and compromise their faith because of lack of discernment. For us to walk above stumbling and goofing, we need to stop reasoning things out without Biblical backing. God’s word is the basis for us to receive that which pertains to life and godliness.

2 Peter 1:3-4

As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

When we forsake the power of God working from within us, we end up failing and missing out on God. In His divine power there is knowledge, which will keep us from being corrupted in this world. When you want to make an important decision in life, weigh it against the word of God, and receive knowledge and wisdom on what to do in that situation. Whatever God tells you to do, do it; whatever He tells you not to do, do not do it.

God has given us that power that works within us to cause us to work and walk above average. The discernment we are talking about today is not that portion that 1 Cor. 12:10 talks about. The spirit of discernment helps you to discern what spirit is at work in a certain area. This is a good gift that we should all desire to have. However, this discernment we are talking about is one that will help us to walk in wisdom in day to day life.

Discernment will cause us to think Biblically, and keep us from being deceived by trickery of men.

Ephesians 4:14

…that we should no longer be children, tossed to and from and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting…

The church has been put to trickery and cunningness, because of lack of discernment. We must be able to distinguish what spirits are in operations, and not run for “quick fixes”, ending up losing track. It is not every prayer group that is godly, not every prophet that is of God, not every Christian meeting or fellowship that is meant for you and so on. Many people go to such places thinking that they are going for something godly in these places or churches, and end up being laid hands on, losing even what they had initially. There is a need for great discernment in the times we are living in.

As we are growing and expanding, people will come with many instructions and suggestions, but we need to be careful who we trust and whether the word is of God. Before anyone tells you what God has said, you need to have a witness inside you already. Any prophetic word needs to have a witness inside you. The witness may not be so clear, and the prophetic word comes to unlock it and give it clarity. Any new prophecy that does not bear witness with your spirit needs to be considered carefully, as you consult with God on the accuracy of that word.

God wants us to discern things, so that we are not manipulated. The spirit of manipulation thrives where there is lack of discernment. Many believers today have been misled and are now lost because they lack discernment.

We need discernment on a daily basis, as the times we are getting into are not going to be easier, as the levels of trickery in the world and church are increasing. 

1 John 4:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out in to the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

Test all things; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.

You can only know what to abstain from when you have discernment.

How will you have discernment?

1.       Recognize God as the only true source of wisdom. Trust God as the only true source of wisdom. When He gives you a word or instruction, stop running to people to ask them what to do. Do what God tells you to do, without hesitation or consultations with other men.

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Whenever you are not sure of what to do, ask God for wisdom. When you do, and receive wisdom, then you will have so much peace and calmness when making the decision. Many times we ask for wisdom when we have flopped, but God wants us to ask for wisdom before we get started.

2.       Pray that you increase in love, knowledge and discernment.

Philippians 1:9
And this I pray, that your love abound still more and more in knowledge and in all discernment.

3.       Know more truth than lies.

John 8:32
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Know more of trues than of lies. For you to know fake from real, even in currencies, you need to interact more with the real, such that when the fake thing comes, you will know. Today, interact more with the truth about your life, so that you can discern when the falsehood comes your way. If you know more lies than truth, then you will never discern truth from lie. When you know more truth than lies, then you can easily discern lies. The word of God is the truth; Jesus is the truth. Listen more to sermons about what Jesus does and who He is, instead of what the devil does and who he is. When you do this, you can know when falsehood knocks on the door.

The discernment of the Lord can even help you smell sin from a far.

Areas in which we must have discernment

1.       Discern the time and season that we are in.

If you fail to discern, you will fail to guard what God has given you. Discern where to give even your money, and that way you will guard what God has given you. Do not just throw your seed; discern where to sow it.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (study this).

Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from the beginning to the end.

If it is time to plant and you miss out on the sowing season, you will never harvest. Discern the time and season we are in. Currently as the church we are in a season of harvest, and if you do not recognize this, you will miss out on your harvest, in this season where the church has been set free. If the church has been released and is celebrating the harvest, brighten your face and receive your portion. God has returned His glory to the church now; chains are being broken, worship has been restored, the harvest has been released. It is a season of thanksgiving and celebrating breakthrough.

It is purely by the grace of God, that we are in this season, not because of effort. If there is a time that the church arises and shines for the Lord, it is now. Darkness had covered the nation, but now it is time to arise and shine. In the recent past, it was weird for a believer to say they were born again, but now the nation is turning to the church for prayers and wisdom. This is the time the church arises and represents God in the light.

Say no to anything lesser than the best. Go for the best option.

Study Isaiah 61.

This is the season even Gentiles (unbelievers) run to the believers. The church has once again come back to the light of Christ. When we discern the times and seasons, we will not miss out on God. In this season, we ought to walk in righteousness and holiness, pleasing God, such that we will not miss out on God. If there is a time we loved God, praying, singing, worshipping, reading the word etc., it is now, as it is these things that will help us rise up and keep rising up higher, never missing out on God.

Break any unbelief in your life through prayer and fasting, as unbelief is the only thing that will keep you from receiving from God, even as much as God has broken the chains and set us free to receive the harvest.

When it is time and season, heaven, the devil and even you will know. Even hell trembles when it knows it is time, just as it did during the birth of Jesus, and during the times of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. For these four, the fire and the lion came to distract their promotions, getting on their next levels. Even for the birth of Jesus, the devil caused a stir through Herod. The devil knows that this is a season of breakthrough, but we need not be distracted by what the devil is doing and has purposed to do. Remain focused, and let even the devil know that we are not of those who look back and give up.

Heb. 10:39

But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

If you are sure that you are determined to receive that which is yours, and have discerned the time and season, do not let the devil distract you by the fire and situations around you; hold on and press on to receive that which is yours. The enemy will not just watch and cheer you on as you are walking into your breakthrough; he causes a short term thing, a stir, a fire etc., to distract you. Discern the times, and press on. The fire is just an indication that promotion is nigh.

In our next session, we will talk about the two more areas in which we must have discernment.

Amen. 

 -- Pastor Mary Mugo. 

(15/06/14 Sunday Service Sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry.)


Pastor Mary is the Senior Pastor at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.