The Gift of Discerning Spirits

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 12:10 and I John 4:1-10

Key Verse: Verse 12:10 - “To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:”

Key Words: to another discerning of spirits

You may have noticed that we did not cover the gift of prophecy, foretelling the future events has failed (failed means to lose authority, not be valid). 

The discerning of spirits, I believe, is still viable today.

I personally know a pastor that will fall for every sob story that vagabonds off the street tell him.  Over the years, I’ve cautioned him in regard to those who take advantage of his gracious but naïve spirit.  This gracious pastor will tell you over the years he has trusted those who have let him down even though he was warned in regard to these “fakes.”

My wife, who seldom gets involved in the inner workings of the church, will say to me, “Now, you be careful.  Watch out” … for this and that; and then she will say, “Isn’t ‘so and so’ wonderful?”  She is almost always right.  She has the spirit of discernment.

Duck hunters use decoys.  Today, these decoys have gotten pretty fancy.  The decoys quack like ducks, move like ducks, look like ducks, and act like ducks.  In fact, the ducks think that they are real ducks and the real ducks end up being dead ducks because they can’t tell what’s real.

 

                                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

✞ Praise God and listen and heed those who have proven that they indeed have the gift of discerning spirits.