5 Truths About Discernment

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Discernment is a most intriguing spiritual gift. Listed among the nine gifts of the Spirit, it sits right between prophecy and tongues. This speaks of the vocal nature of this gift, requiring discernment to be communicated. The Spirit of God will quicken us with the ability to discern spirits, whether they be evil or good – demonic, divine or human. A tool such as discernment, is critical for the preservation of sound biblical doctrine as well as profitable for successful kingdom endeavors. Failure to discern can result in devastating setbacks and viral spiritual infections among believers.

Need for discernment continues to mount as we foray into the darkness to redeem the lost. Complacent believers have no need for discernment, securely insulated within church walls. To grow in discernment, one must be obedient to their call. Here are five simple truths about discernment:

  1. Discernment comes with exposure. Allow yourself to be put in precarious situations. To know the difference between a demon and a wicked human spirit, you must be brave enough to have wrestled with a few.
  2. Discernment is given to help us fulfill an assignment. The complacent Christian will confuse a critical spirit with the spirit of discernment. He who refuses to act for Christ will never know true discernment. It is a tool given to the faithful servant.
  3. Discernment will open your eyes to evils that most are blinded to. Evil lurks in your world, friend. Laissez-faire believers will never tolerate the voice of discernment. Should you communicate your discernment, expect resistance from those who tolerate evil in the name of Christianity.
  4. Discernment comes from knowing the voice of the Shepherd. The Spirit of the Lord is the revealer of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The more we know His voice, the easier it becomes to discern false voices. To grow in discernment, you must grow in fellowship with Jesus.
  5. Discernment opens the eyes to new revelation. New revelation proves risky to those who cannot discern the truth. Whenever we operate in the Spirit of discernment, we welcome godly prophetic instruction with open arms. New levels of revelation are granted to those who have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 NIV

When You Encounter Greatness

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You possess a greatness uniquely yours. Those who discover and acknowledge their own God-given greatness will naturally begin to seek out other great men and women. It takes greatness to recognize greatness in others. This power of recognition is a magnetic force that draws together mentors and mentees for the purpose of impartation. Over the years, I have learned several keys to maximizing the gift of an encounter with great men and women of purpose. G-R-E-A-T is a simple acrostic to help you retain these steps of protocol.

G – Greet

If you have received an invitation or the possibility of a seat with greatness, arrive early. If at all possible, show up before the mentor arrives. It is customary in our culture, for a person of importance to arrive after the crowd has assembled. I once had the honor of hearing President George W. Bush speak to a group in Nashville, TN. Security protocol required everyone to be seated securely in the room before the President arrived. Schedule constraints on the President only afforded him precious minutes with us. Because of the import of the visitation, the large crowd was more than happy to comply with any special demand. The same is true for anyone privileged enough to spend time with a person of significant import. Likely, your mentor will not be able to camp out with you all day. Arrive early, and be mindful of time constraints.

R – Read

Read up on your potential mentor. Anyone of great significance has likely written or communicated their message through media. Be more than familiar with their material. To the best of your ability, be conversant with their personal history, accomplishments and material. Your comprehensiveness shows you to be a potential disciple.

E – Etiquette

Mind your lip. Resist the temptation to blather on about your personal trials and accomplishments in an effort to win the mentor’s approval. If it’s approval you seek, you already have it! Your meeting is proof of special favor from the powers that be. God gave you this meeting for the purpose of impartation. If you seek ministry for your insecurities, this encounter will be your last. Address the mentor with respect and deference, both with your words and physical posture. Respect must be communicated. Be still and know.

A – Ask

Always have intelligent questions prepared for your potential mentor. Questions show honor, as well as your particular state of development. Your inquiries will reveal your needs and grant you access to strategic wisdom. Don’t waste his or her time by failing to bring questions to the table.

T – Thank

Thank your mentor at the beginning, middle and conclusion or your meeting. Thankfulness is your best shot at another encounter. Only a truly grateful person will go to the lengths of such thankfulness! Never approach a king without a gift. If at all possible, bring a card, gift or token of your gratitude to remind your mentor of you long after you’ve left.

“Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.” Proverbs 18:4

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Unteachable People

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  • If we’re teachable, we’ll surround ourselves with victorious people.
  • The unteachable person habitually hangs with losers.
  • With whom you cavort reveals whether or not you desire to learn, louse or lord.
  • Yes, some believers enjoy lording over others they deem subservient in some way – demonstrating they are woefully unteachable.

Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”

5 Kinds of Mercy

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Do you have a mercy gift? Some are naturally inclined to reach out in defense of the disadvantaged or less fortunate. However, I see five different types of mercy described in scripture. You may possess a gift of mercy, not readily identified by the traditional use of the word. Mercy is translated from several different Hebrew and Greek words with individual meanings. Let’s take a quick look.

1. Graciousness for the poor. “He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy [is] he,” Proverbs 14:21. The one who is gracious to the poor round about him, is rewarded with happiness and the pleasure of God.

2. Kindness shown to a fallen friend. “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD [men] depart from evil,” Proverbs 16:6. Offering honesty and kindness to one who has stumbled can quicken them to righteousness.

3. Relief for the suffering. “And they lifted up [their] voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us,” Luke 17:13. Whether it be suffering of a physical, emotional or spiritual kind, a merciful person not only comforts but is empowered to relieve pain.

4. Salvation for the hopeless. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,” Ephesians 2:4. Just as God has rescued us from utter devastation, we will have opportunities in life to redeem utterly hopeless situations and people.

5. The character of a king. “Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy,” Proverbs 20:28. Some possess a gift of leadership that is sourced in mercy. The one who governs from a position or mindset of mercy and truth will not be cut short.

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The Calling of “Friend”

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God calls each of us to a unique placement in the Body of Christ. Have we considered, however that He has also called us to be more than a member, servant or soldier of the cross? Over your life, is an upward calling… to that of a “friend.” After a period of time with His disciples, Jesus made a radical statement. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you,” John 15:15. The twelve, who began as servants of the Messiah, had grown in fellowship and like mindedness with Him – precipitating an unusual closeness in relationship. Imagine their surprise to hear their Master and Lord call them “friend” –  synonymous with fellow or peer.

The word “call” in the Greek is lego, meaning:

To say, to speak

  • When He speaks about you, He mentions you as a friend.

Affirm over, maintain

  • He affirms in your heart of hearts the nearness of Him.

To teach

  • He instructs us how to be the kind of friend a King and God would want.

To exhort, advise, to command, direct

  • The connection we share with Him, is one of wisdom, direction and encouragement.

To point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say

  • He is not embarrassed of us, but makes an open display of our friendship to others.

To call by name, to call, name

  • We are not friends with God as collective person (ie. the Bride of Christ, the Church, etc…) The friendship He has called us to is an individual experience unique to each one. He has singled you out by name.

To speak out, speak of, mention

  • He mentions you to others, both in the heavens and in the earth.

These things do not negate our call to servant-living! A friend serves all the more – just lovingly rather than dutifully. Don’t you find it irresistible to serve the ones you love? See yourself, however, as the one Jesus has called and appointed as His own friend, confidante, companion, and fellow in this never-ending journey called life.

Your Grand Introduction

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Before you ever act on behalf of God, He is at work preparing your way. There’s not a sermon you preach, song you sing, word you write, or project you attempt that hasn’t been joyously anticipated by your Heavenly Father. He does not sit idly by, waiting to see what you will do. Rather, He goes before you, preparing hearts and minds to cooperate with or to receive you. In essence, God introduces you ahead of time, to the people you are destined to connect with.

Someone far off has seen your face or heard your voice long before your actual encounter. Holy Spirit has placed your Macedonian call on the lips of many. This He does by stirring questions in the hearts of hungry people – questions that you have answers to. Not only does He prepare them for you, but you for them. Isn’t it amazing that the very ponderings of your heart match those of random strangers you encounter in this world? If you’ll but pursue those ponderings, you’ll be prepared with life-altering answers for others who are “magnetically” drawn to you through space and time. I have seen this in action both here, and at www.definingwords.com.

I love what Vonette Bright once said. “The Holy Spirit will precede my efforts.” I love the definition of precede:

  • To come, exist, or occur before in time.
  • To come before in order or rank; surpass or outrank.
  • To be in a position in front of; go in advance of.
  • To preface.
Friend, go forward in confidence and boldness, knowing that to many, you’ve already been introduced.

“He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory.” Romans 9:23

Fruit on the Brain

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Only lately has it dawned on me that every action of my day will produce fruit. As one grows older, the realization of mortality sinks in. We only have so many dawns, waking hours and opportunities to do something meaningful with our lives. Quite honestly, dissatisfaction with the fruit bounty my life is producing has led to some much-needed examination. Here’s five things I’ve discovered about the significance of my daily scuttle.

  1. The value of my life will be determined by how much I value my time.
  2. Dissatisfaction is symptomatic of misappropriated time.
  3. Every activity of my day (productive or unproductive) will produce fruit that I and those nearest me will have to eat.
  4. If I want different fruit in my life, existing crops must be scaled back or even uprooted. Farmers often change or rotate crops to keep the land healthy and fertile.
  5. If I sow the seed of my time wisely, there will be enough fruit for not only myself, but for the many others in my life.

“Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil,“ Ephesians 5:16.

I Answer to… ?

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To whom do you answer? Really, is there at least one person in your life that you can honestly say you are accountable to? As I mature, the more salient is my necessity for accountability. My thoughts swirl around this topic because the ministries I serve are undergoing a customary annual audit. Not only does the income, but the expenditures fall under much-needed scrutiny, keeping us above-board in our operations. Ministries, businesses, and individuals who desire to grow in influence and favor, must consider expanding their base of accountability. Once operations flourish beyond the realm of oversight, the entity is doomed to topple. The larger the breach of answerability, the greater the chance for human mishandling, the grander the crash in the public realm.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2:17, “At least we are not commercializing God’s word like so many others. Instead, we speak with sincerity in the Messiah’s name, like people who are sent from God and are accountable to God.” The more earthly measures of accountability we employ, the less we’ll have to answer for when we stand before the Lord. As a minister of the Gospel, it behooves me to welcome accountability as I grow. Here are five basic thoughts about accountability that have challenged me.

  1. Accountability must be invited. Others will not look over my shoulder, generally, unless I ask them to.
  2. We are not submitted to God until we are willing to give account to men and women He has placed in authority.
  3. Success cannot truly be measured apart from the oversight of those with wisdom and experience.
  4. The one to whom I answer is empowered to defend me in the day of accusation.
  5. If I want to be given more Kingdom responsibility, I must submit to more Kingdom accountability. To whom much is given, much is required.

10 Facts About Griping

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Some folks enjoy a good gripe session. After communicating their grievance, answers are entertained and stress is relieved. Others, however, live to gripe. They’re committed to bringing you the cry-gest on a regular basis. “Debby Downer” or “Moody Mike” has the gift of deflation or discouragement. Likely, you won’t change this individual. You can, however, understand where he or she is coming from and why it’s important to limit your exposure to him or her.

1. Gripers complain about obvious or trite (non-important) things.

2. Gripers wear others down with consistent nagging.

3. Gripers grumble about things they feel powerless to affect.

4. Gripers tend to be perfectionists, chronically disaffected with their imperfect world.

5. Gripers generally have a strong sense of right and wrong. They react negatively to wrongs that go unaddressed.

6. Gripers enjoy the attention they get from their constant grumbling.

7. Gripers cannot be satisfied or appeased. They draw significance from finding fault.

8. Gripers spew negativity to redirect focus away from themselves. Insecurity breeds the fear of being “discovered” as less-than-perfect.

9. Gripers expect you to do something about their discomfort. They use negativity to manipulate.

10.  Gripers expend their emotional and intellectual energy on creative complaining – instead of problem-solving. The only way to silence a griper, is to force him to use his energy to craft a solution.

“Nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.” 1 Corinthians 10:10 ESV