Chapter 6


DISCERNMENT

By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze


NEED FOR DISCERNMENT
         The spirit of discernment is the spirit that is able to distinguish the things of God from those of the darkness, so that the everlasting separation between light and darkness remains. Otherwise, the children of light would obey and worship Satan in the hope that they are obeying and worshipping the Almighty Father. Just as there are messages from God, so there are messages from Satan and his Angels and agents. The spirit of discernment helps to distinguish.
         Also, there are people who are prone to evil machinations. They can tell lies in the name of vision, dream, oracle, prophecy etc. Some even claim to be spiritually-possessed when they are not.

12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an Angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:12-15

         Without the spirit of discernment, it will be hard to find them out.

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1-2

Lucifer retains some of his power, wisdom and glory which he had before his expulsion from heaven.

12 …"You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.

14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you. Ezek 28:12-15

         And he is always trying to mislead the children of God, just as he misled Adam and Eve, and even tried to confuse Jesus. He sends out his Angels into the midst of mankind to mislead, kill and destroy. These black Angels are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

WHO SHOULD DISCERN?
         Everybody can discern to some extent. But there are spiritually gifted discerners. It is the sole duty of the gifted to discern in the congregation of God. The head in a worship or gathering may discern, or appoint someone to do so. Usually, only the conclusions of the appointed discerner are acceptable before God and in the church. The reason for this is that individuals silently engage in their own personal discernments of spirit and messages. Disorder and troubles shall abound in the vineyard, if they are allowed to hold sway.

HOW TO DISCERN
         Discernment is possible through the following ways:
  1. Pre-revelation.
  2. Good quotation from Bible casting.
  3. Declaration of the name and purpose of the visiting Angel.
  4. Acknowledgement of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
  5. On-the-spot revelations.
  6. Interview.
  7. Response/silence of the spirit.
  8. Approved signs.
  9. Conformity with the Bible.
  10. Behaviour.
  11. Intervening Spirit from God.
  12. Confessing the Blood of Jesus.
  1. Pre-Revelation
    2. Regularly, God foretells of His manifestations or possessions. He does this, when people are always very near to Him in prayer, evangelism or spirit. Hence, the secrets of God are for those that fear Him - those that love and stay close to Him. He is ready to give you date, place and time of His presence or manifestation. Example abounds: After Samuel anointed Saul as king of Israelites, he said to Saul,

    5 After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying. 6 Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 7 And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you. 8 You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do." 9 So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day. 10 When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that he indeed prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, "What is this that has come upon the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" 12 Then a man from there answered and said, "But who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb: "Is Saul also among the prophets?" 13 And when he had finished prophesying, he went to the high place. 1 Samuel 10:5-13

    David enquired of the Lord, whether he was to attack the philistines or not. The Lord gave him directives on when to know God’s Presence in the battlefield.

    And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer. 2 Samuel 5:23,25

    Another good example is found in Exodus.

    And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. … And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. Exodus 19:10-16

  2. Good Bible Quotations
    3. One of the ways of determining the type of spirit manifest is by the casting of the Bible. Generally, a good Bible quotation means that the spirit of God is present, but a bad quotation means that the spirit is not from God. At times, caution is necessary in the use of Bible quotation in discernment. A bad Bible quotation may refer to the bad condition which the spirit of God has come to eradicate or improve.

  3. Self Identification And Declaration Of Purpose
    4. It is usual for the manifesting spirit from God to mention his name and purpose of his coming. Beware of any spirit that refuses to identify himself. Below is an encounter with Gabriel.

    He came in possession of a student. He staggered like a drunkard, but he was not drunk. Instead, he was being directed by (full of) the Holy Spirit.
             I said, “Let God make known who is in our midst”.
             “I am Gabriel,” he said.
             I had to test the spirit, to know if he came from God.
             “Do you believe,” I asked, “in the blood of the lamb?”
             He responded, “It is the blood that brought me here.”
             “Lord,” I exclaimed in answer to God the Most High.

             Archangel Gabriel is the Angel in charge of Prophecy. He is called the Dove of Heaven, Dove The Revealer of the Hidden Things. (From The Visions Of A Saint By Raphael Nweze)

             Another good example is found in the Bible.

    And the Angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. Luke 1:19

             Once the Lord said, “When the spirit tells you his name, watch over the work he will do. This is because some leave their duties and do the work of others.”
             Expectedly, the clash of role is not likely to be caused by the manifesting spirit from God, but by the persons possessed, for some claim to be possessed when they are not.

  4. Acknowledgement Of The Trinity
    5. Every spirit from the Lord acknowledges the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

    2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 1 John 4:2-3

  5. On-The-Spot Revelations
    6. When a spirit manifests, gifted ministers pray to God for confirmation or disapproval. And God responds immediately by making revelations through visions, trances, oracles, etc.

  6. Interview
    7. A wise minister would interview every spirit before the spirit starts ministering.
             During the interview, the presiding minister should ask such question as:
    The spirit from God is expected to:
  7. Approved Signs
    8. Frequently, God gives signs to his prophets and visioners by which spirit or message from Him can be confirmed.

  8. Conformity With The Bible
    9. Every spirit from God does not go contrary to the words of the Lord that are in the Bible. The kingdom of God does not divide and rise against itself.

  9. Intervening Spirit From God
    10. Sometimes when a false spirit manifests, another spirit from God equally manifests. Normally, the spirit from God would pull down the false spirit, cause it to depart, or declare that the false spirit is not from God.
             In one encounter, an evil spirit came to a church to minister in the midst of the congregation. Not long after he started, Archangel Michael 'breezed in'. He pushed on the evil spirit about three times, and the evil spirit fell down. Then, Michael stood in front of the altar and saluted the Almighty three times.

  10. Confessing The Blood Of Jesus
    11. The blood of Jesus is a victorious power, which the Almighty has given free to His children. And I add, "Let everybody learn how to utilize this amazing power of love."