The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 166

The Gifts Part 71

Discerning of Spirits continued...

We cannot approach the spiritual as we do every other area in our lives, wherein if we can swing it, we hire someone to mow our lawn, clean our home, fix the garbage disposal, or shovel our driveway in the winter. We cannot delegate our spiritual wellbeing to another, nor can we hire someone to watch, discern and evaluate that which we hear. It is our individual duty and responsibility to be on guard, to be watchful, and judge all things in accordance with the word of God.

Because we’re so used to delegating responsibility, because we’re so used to outsourcing other labor intensive areas of our lives, we’ve come to adopt the mentality that we can do the same when it comes to spiritual things.

‘Well, that’s what the pastor gets paid for, that’s why we have an elder board, that’s why I subscribe to the prophet vetting service for the low cost of $29.99 per month.’

We cannot be lazy, careless, or indifferent when it comes to the things of God, and to our spiritual wellbeing. It is to my benefit to take the time and analyze words of prophecy, it is to my benefit to use discernment and evaluate whether something is of God, because it will save me much heartache, much disillusionment and much disappointment in the long run.

No, I will not take someone else’s word for it, whether positive or negative, I will not acquiesce to someone else’s opinion regarding a certain word or a certain individual, until I have personally evaluated and judged, until I have personally inspected the spiritual fruits, because no matter how trustworthy the individual offering their opinion might be, they are still human, prone to error, as well as judging via the prism of their understanding or doctrinal upbringing.

One of the most difficult things I have to contend with as a minister of the gospel, is consoling and comforting fellow believers after they’ve suffered the disappointment and disenchantment of seeing their newly minted ‘prophet of the age’ come crashing back to earth. Because they did not guard their hearts, because they did not evaluate and discern the words they heard but readily received them because they sounded so good, their hearts are wounded and broken when it turns out the man was more hype than real, all wrapping and no substance.

A strange thing occurs when men fail us, even though the word of God tells us that they will, and even goes so far as to inform us that a man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength is cursed, we begin to blame God and feel bitter toward Him for having been betrayed.

It’s not God who failed you, it’s the man whom you elevated to the status of a god that failed you. It is not God who betrayed you, it is the one you lent your ear to in lieu of Him that betrayed you. It’s sad and tragic when we don’t do what God commands us to do, when we don’t guard our hearts, when we don’t judge the spirits to see if they are of Him, when we surrender our hearts to men who would speak soothing words to us, then turn around and blame God when these selfsame men fail us.

So just to clarify, it is we who walked in disobedience, some might even say rebellion, it is we who did what the word of God specifically warns us not to do, and yet somehow we lay the blame at God’s feet, and grow bitter toward Him because the man or woman we put our trust in, even when the Bible told us not to, turned out to be a flake, a con artist, or a habitual fornicator.

‘But brother Mike, she called them like she saw them, I mean she found fault in every minister to ever walk the earth, both living and dead, she was all fire and brimstone, cutting into flesh, who’d have thought she could turn out to be so deceitful and disingenuous.’

Bonus insight: Beware of any individual who would elevate themselves by climbing upon the corpses of everyone else! When everyone, everywhere, at any given time is a fake, a fraud, a liar a deceiver, a false teacher, a false prophet, a charlatan, an evildoer, or even the Antichrist in the flesh, and the only oasis of truth, the only place you will find succor is at that singular individual’s feet, it’s time to slowly back away and make for the exit.

Even when Elijah thought that he alone was left in Israel as a prophet of God, God revealed to him there were seven thousand others, all whose knees had not bowed to Baal, and whose mouths had not kissed him.

I am not the lone voice crying out in the wilderness, God has His people everywhere, yes even in churches, God has those He is even now preparing to take up the standard and preach righteousness and repentance when I will be no more, and when those of my generation who are currently laboring in the harvest field will go to their rest. God plans ahead, He is never taken by surprise, and He has His servants throughout, now as always.

There is nothing more dangerous than a pride fueled ego, wherein an individual comes to believe themselves singularly qualified to dispense truth, dismissing all others as mere pretenders to their imaginary throne.

The true sign of a servant is not whether they have a following, whether they could brow beat and tongue lash everyone into submission, or whether their word is the final authority, the true sign of a servant is that they serve, that they are humble as the Lord was humble, and meek as the Lord was meek.

Philippians 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.