Discernment – The Ability to Tell the Difference Between Right and Almost Right

Originally written in 2015, I felt once again to bring this article out. Having just written the article with Thomas Littleton’s “Betrayed: An Open Letter to the Church,” I realized that more than ever before, many Christians have no chance to understand if they are sitting under heretical teaching.

We are in the middle of the “Great Falling Away,” and no wonder. Corrupt leadership in many churches with congregations filled with people who do not read God’s Word and therefore lack discernment. This is a dangerous combination.

When I think back to when I originally wrote this piece, I never would have imagined that the church would be in the condition it is in today.

Original Article

As we observe the aberrant and mystical teachings in so many of our churches, my heart breaks for the members in these congregations who are either not yet born again, are babes in Christ – or are lacking discernment. They are prey for the evil one – they have no spiritual armor to defend themselves and to distinguish between God’s Truth and counterfeit satanic lies.

Discerning of spirits

From gotquestions.org

Question: “What is the spiritual gift of discerning spirits?

Answer: The gift of discerning spirits, or “distinguishing” spirits, is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit described in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. Like all these gifts, the gift of discerning spirits is given by the Holy Spirit, who disperses these gifts to believers for service in the body of Christ. Every believer has a spiritual enablement for a specific service, but there is no room for self-choosing. The Spirit distributes spiritual gifts according to the sovereignty of God and in accordance with His plan to edify the body of Christ. He gives His gifts “just as he determines” (1 Corinthians 12:11). (Emphasis added)

When it comes to the gift of discerning spirits, every born-again believer has a certain amount of discernment, which increases as the believer matures in the Spirit. In Hebrews 5:13-14 we read that a believer who has matured beyond using the milk of the Word as a babe in Christ is able to discern both good and evil. The maturing believer is empowered by the Spirit of God through the Scriptures to tell the difference between good and evil, and beyond that, he can also distinguish between what is good and what is better. In other words, any born-again believer who chooses to focus on the Word of God is spiritually discerning. (emphasis added)

There are certain believers, however, who have the spiritual gift of discerning spirits—that is, the God-given ability to distinguish between the truth of the Word and the deceptive doctrines propagated by demons. We are all exhorted to be spiritually discerning (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1), but some in the body of Christ have been given the unique ability to spot the doctrinal “forgeries” that have plagued the church since the first century. This discernment does not involve mystical, extra-biblical revelations, or a voice from God. Rather, the spiritually discerning are so familiar with the Word of God that they instantly recognize what is contrary to it. They do not receive special messages from God; they use the Word of God to “test the spirits” to see which line up with God and which are in opposition to Him. The spiritually discerning are diligent to “rightly divide” (2 Timothy 2:15 ) the Word of God. (emphasis added) – source

I’ve heard it said that discernment is the ability to tell the difference between right and almost right.

We know that Satan takes a little bit of truth and then twists it with his lies. We read about this in Genesis when he deceived Eve into disobeying God. The devil’s tactics have not changed since the beginning.

Our Lord Jesus was tempted by Satan in the Wilderness:

Satan attempted to deceive our Lord Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus came back at him with Pure Scripture. “It is written,” He said, and the evil one finally departed. Jesus was teaching us to do the same. The Bereans did it, and it won them a mention in the Book of Acts:

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).

We are admonished to study the Scriptures to keep us safe:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

“That we henceforth be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and their cunning and craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14).

The Gift of Discerning of Spirits

I’ve been a believer since January of 1983. In 1984, I made a friend in our neighborhood who attended my church, and we would ride together to choir on Wednesday nights.

One of those nights, she gave me a bunch of cassettes and told me, “You will love this preacher.” I told her that I would give him a listen. The next day I put the first cassette in while I did dishes. The preacher was Kenneth Copeland. I listened to about ten minutes of this man and turned him off.

I was a babe in the Lord, and no one told me that Copeland’s teaching was questionable. I just knew that God did not want me listening to that man. He talked about never being sick – NEVER. He said he never even got a cold. Then he made jokes about a man who was feeling blessed because God had allowed him to get a used Chevy that he had wanted. Copeland said, “I told that man that if that was truly from the Lord, he should have asked for a Cadillac – and a brand new one!” He laughed at his own lame joke.

That’s when I turned it off. That’s when I knew that Kenneth Copeland was not someone that my Lord Jesus would want me listening to. I should never get sick? I should be rich because I’m a Christian?

Was this true? Should Christians never be sick? Should we all be rich because we’re children of God? Something didn’t ring true. I had to go to the only place I knew would have the answer: my Bible. I knew that I had a bad feeling as I listened to Copeland, and I knew that God had urged me to turn him off. I wanted to know the truth.

I went to Acts in my Bible. I was sure I’d be able to see how the first Christians lived. I’d find out if they were prosperous and disease-free. What I found was what I suspected to be true. The Apostles were jailed, tortured, and ultimately killed, except for John. And he had been boiled in oil yet lived because of the Lord.

Then, I went to the Gospel of John to see what Jesus said about our lives as His followers.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Luke wrote:

“And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).

Revelation 21:4 says:

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

We Share in the Sufferings of Christ

Suffering, tribulations, bearing our own cross, pain, crying, and death – well, this was a far cry from what I had heard Kenneth Copeland preaching. That was my first experience with discernment from the Lord. It was overwhelming to me to know that my heavenly Father protected me from the heresy I heard when I was a little more than a year old in Him! Many years later I realized that He had given me the Gift of Discerning of Spirits.

But brethren, don’t forget that every true child of God has some discernment, and as God’s child studies the Word of God diligently, he/she becomes more discerning.

I look around today, and I am shocked at the lack of discernment in many Christians. How could someone who was drawn by the Holy Spirit and born-again in Him listen to a motivational speaker like Joel Osteen and then rave about him as an amazing preacher? Really? Which part of “Your Best Life Now” would not be a big red flag that this man is NOT preaching the gospel of Christ?

How can a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ not know that the Emergent churches and now the New Apostolic Reformation churches/cults (NAR) are not God’s will? There are many reasons why millions have been drawn to these heretical teachers. But I think that the main reason that people are duped so quickly is that they are NOT reading their Bibles.

My Honesty is now called “Hate speech”

People who know me know that I’ll be honest with them, even if that means they might not like what I am saying. When I hear someone talk about Benny Hinn and how much they enjoyed his crusade and how many people were healed, I tell them the truth about him. I tell them that he is a fraud, that he talks to the dead, that he believes we are little gods, and that he says that God takes over his mind at times before he preaches, and doesn’t remember one word he has said. Our God is a God of order – not confusion. We know who is the author of confusion!

Should preachers live like kings in mansions? The only mansions I have read about in the Word are the ones Jesus is preparing for those who love Him. Christians have no problem seeing their favorite “preacher” living in a $10 million dollar estate. I am not saying that a pastor of a large church should live like a pauper. I am saying that a pastor who is living large is not the kind of shepherd I would ever want to be my pastor.

1 Timothy 6:10 says:

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Not “money” itself, but the Love of money. Money can be used in wonderful ways in the body of Christ. It’s when money becomes an idol – that is when it becomes the root of all evil.

The Mine Fields Called Christian Bookstores

Christian bookstores can be a nightmare for someone who lacks discernment. These stores are in business for the same reason anyone goes into business—to make money. One would hope that if one of these stores is owned by a blood-bought, born-again Christian, they would have a conviction about what is sold in their establishment. I have yet to find one like that.

The Shack

I remember when The Shack came out. I was in a Christian bookstore and picked up the book and scanned through it. I had the urge to hurl it across the store! I resisted that thought and put it down hard. The clerk gave me a strange look. I walked over and asked if she had read The Shack. The girl said, “Oh yes, it’s great, isn’t it?” OY. God, give me patience.

If you have not read The Shack, you are blessed. If you, because of my article, decide to look for it, I do hope that you will see it as garbage. I think more people need to be vocal. If you have discernment from God and you see a brother or sister lacking in discernment, help them!

Prosperity Preachers

I have discerned that the “prosperity” preachers are frauds. I have discerned that “name it and claim it” is not Scriptural. I have discerned that we will never be little gods. All of these teachings could be easily detected as heresy by simply looking in the Word.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

People with itching ears like to hear what makes them feel good. The Bible is not a smorgasbord; pick what you like and leave the rest. The Bible is God’s Word to us. Everything we need to know about Him and about life is found within its pages. How amazing is that? The Creator of the Universe is our Father and wants us to know what is good for us and what is not!

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

All Scripture is God-breathed, and we must trust it – ALL OF IT – regardless of teachers such as Andy Stanley, who teaches that the inerrancy of the Word is “selective.” Brethren, this is devilish. If we go down that path, who is to say which Scriptures are inerrant and which are not? That is a very slippery slope and a lie from the pit of hell.

Itching Ears

Perhaps you have placed yourself under false teaching and have not repented and trusted Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sin. There are many preachers who love to tickle itching ears. Does your preacher speak about sin and how it separates us from God? Does he preach repentance – agreeing with God that you are a sinner and to turn away from it?

If he does not, then you are playing church. You sign up to help for every event. You may even teach Sunday School. You are a helper at every Vacation Bible School, and of course, you are on the clean-up team. These are all good things!

But if you think that doing these good deeds will get you into heaven, you have missed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How many good deeds are enough to gain entry into heaven when you die? Have you never seen this Scripture?

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The Bible says that God is sending “strong delusion” in these end times. The Bible makes it very clear why God is sending this delusion.”

“They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

So, if you think you lack discernment, could it be that you have neglected the reading of God’s Word? Perhaps after you study His Word, you will begin to apply what you’ve learned to your life. You may see that the preachers you have been relying on to impart wisdom from God’s Word have actually been preaching a different gospel.

That’s a scary thought, but isn’t it more scary to continue listening to empty and deceitful words?

Get right with God! He sent Jesus to die for you so that you could be reconciled to Him.

—————————————————————

For anyone who did not read the letter by Thomas Littleton – please do yourself a favor and make time to read this. YOU may be sitting in a church where the leadership has traded the truth of the Word of God for the lies of the enemy. Actually, YOU may have fallen for his lies as well. The devil is Evil, but he is also crafty:

“Betrayed: An Open Letter to the Church”

Trust Jesus for your salvation. Then pray for discernment as you read His Word.

Fast forward to 2025:

Think about this: Are you attending a church that hates Israel and Jews everywhere? As a Jewish believer in Christ, this shocks and saddens me that so many churches are now teaching hatred toward the Jewish people.

JESUS IS A JEW!

Lack of discernment from not reading His Word? BIG TIME!

How Can I Be Saved?

Shalom b’Yeshua

MARANATHA!!

Grandmageri422@gmail.com

Articles @grandmageri422.me

 

This article was originally written in 2017.  I felt that it should be posted again because of the ever-increasing push for ecumenism.  Unity can be so very evil.  This is not the unity of which our Lord Jesus spoke. We are to be united in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are to believe the Word of God – all of it – inerrant and infallible.

Words of Jesus

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;  that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (John 17:20-23).

Article from 2017:

After I was born again from above, I was approached by a Catholic woman who had heard about my conversion. Actually, I don’t call it a conversion. I am Jewish, and when the Lord saved me, I became a completed Jew. Anyway, to this Catholic woman–I was a convert.

The mission of the woman was to help me see the light–in other words, she wanted me to become a Catholic. We went round and round, mostly about “Mary.” It became so obvious that this woman was worshiping Mary!

She called Mary Queen of Heaven, Mother of God, Blessed Mother, Immaculate Mary and Virgin Mary. Everything the woman was saying to me came straight from the Roman Catholic Church. Everything that I said to her came from the Bible. She did not feel that the Bible was a good source of information about Mary or Jesus. I was STUNNED!

I used Scripture whenever the woman made false statements. When I would say the name of Jesus, she would go right back to talking about Mary. She told me that this is what Jesus wanted: for people to go through His mother to get to Him. I told her that Mary had other children. I could hear her breathe in as if she had been slapped.

“Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus” (Matthew 1:24-25).

Before I became a Christian, I had always thought that the holiest people in the world were Catholics. God opened my eyes to see that this was a facade in the Roman Catholic Church, which Satan used to his advantage. Everything was so beautiful, with stained glass windows, statues of their ‘saints,’ purple velvet, and golden chalices; I could go on and on.

How could this NOT be the true church of the Lord?

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

As I thought about the birth of our Lord Jesus in a lowly stable, something about all of the obvious riches in the Roman Catholic Church did not seem genuine to me. Would Jesus want millions of dollars spent on huge, ornate buildings? It became apparent to me that this church had little to do with Jesus Christ and everything to do with Mary and worshiping her. The more I learned about the Roman Catholic Church, the more it reminded me of the synagogue; traditions of men being taught as the truth–replacing the Word of God.

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

The devil takes a little bit of truth (Word of God) and twists it to deceive us. He did this to Eve in the Garden of Eden. He even tried doing it to our Lord Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus simply corrected and rebuked the evil one, using the written Word of God.

After the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, Satan did not waste any time building his own institution (the Roman Catholic Church) to make sure that people would remain lost in their sins. Before Lucifer was cast out of heaven by God, he was exalting himself to be like the Lord Most High. He wants worship!

He demands worship.

Graven Images

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image–any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4).

The Roman Catholic Church is filled with statues of people who they claim did at least two or more miracles. These canonized people are called saints.

From gotquestions.org

“How does the Roman Catholic understanding of “saints” compare with the biblical teaching? Not very well. In Roman Catholic theology, the saints are in heaven. In the Bible, the saints are on earth. In Roman Catholic teaching, a person does not become a saint unless he/she is “beatified” or “canonized” by the Pope or prominent bishop. In the Bible, everyone who has received Jesus Christ by faith is a saint. In Roman Catholic practice, the saints are revered, prayed to, and, in some instances, worshipped. In the Bible, saints are called to revere, worship, and pray to God alone.” source

Salvation

In Catholicism, Mary is the co-redeemer along with Jesus. The people are taught that Mary participated with Jesus in His painful act of redemption. We know Who redeemed us–Jesus the Christ and no one else:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

No mention of Mary in that passage of Scripture. Not once.

In Catholicism, Mary is the co-mediator, whom we can trust with all of our cares. The Bible says this about our mediator:

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

Extremely clear, wouldn’t you say?

In Catholicism, salvation is sought after by good works and participation in the sacraments. I’ve never met a Catholic who has said that they are sure they are going to heaven.

The Bible says this:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We are saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross. It is a gift of God. It has nothing to do with our works. Good works should come naturally to a redeemed soul, but being redeemed is the work of God. We must believe Him.

The Bible

The priests in the Roman Catholic Church do not encourage the reading of the Word of God to its members. Well, I can see why! If the people begin to read God’s Word, they will see that the Roman Catholic Church is teaching doctrines contrary to the Bible. Then a Catholic person would need to make a choice: To adhere to Catholic doctrine and tradition or believe what they read in the Holy Word of God.

After my last article, I received an email from a woman who seemed frantic. She told me that she was a Catholic Christian. She said that her priest told the congregation that Allah is the same as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I assured her that is NOT the truth. I sent her two articles addressing this lie that is being perpetuated by false teachers.

In the 2nd Council of the Vatican in 1962-1965, this was added to the Book of Catechism:

Second Vatican Council, Nostra Aetate 3, October 28, 1965

“The Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions. She has a high regard for the manner of life and conduct, the precepts and doctrines which, although differing in many ways from her own teaching, nevertheless often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men. Yet she proclaims and is in duty bound to proclaim without fail, Christ who is ‘the way, the truth and the life’ (Jn 1:6). In him, in whom God reconciled all things to himself (cf. 2Co 5:18-19), men find the fullness of their religious life.

“The Church, therefore, urges her sons to enter with prudence and charity into discussion and collaboration with members of other religions. Let Christians, while witnessing to their own faith and way of life, acknowledge, preserve and encourage the spiritual and moral truths found among non-Christians, also their social life and culture.

“The Church has also a high regard for the Muslims. They worship God, who is one, living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth (Cf. St. Gregory VII, Letter III, 21 to Anazir [Al-Nasir], King of Mauretania PL, 148.451A.), who has spoken to men. They strive to submit themselves without reserve to the hidden decrees of God, just as Abraham submitted himself to God’s plan, to whose faith Muslims eagerly link their own. Although not acknowledging him as God, they venerate Jesus as a prophet, his Virgin Mother they also honor, and even at times devoutly invoke. Further, they await the day of judgment and the reward of God following the resurrection of the dead. For this reason they highly esteem an upright life and worship God, especially by way of prayer, alms-deeds and fasting. (emphasis mine)

“Over the centuries many quarrels and dissensions have arisen between Christians and Muslims. The sacred Council now pleads with all to forget the past, and urges that a sincere effort be made to achieve mutual understanding; for the benefit of all men, let them together preserve and promote peace, liberty, social justice and moral values.”

“Therefore, the Church reproves, as foreign to the mind of Christ, any discrimination against people or any harassment of them on the basis of their race, color, condition in life or religion. Accordingly, following the footsteps of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, the sacred Council earnestly begs the Christian faithful to ‘conduct themselves well among the Gentiles’ (1P 2:12) and if possible, as far as depends on them, to be at peace with all men (cf. Rm 12:18), and in that way to be true sons of the Father who is in heaven (cf. Mt 5:45).”

Bringing Muslim Cleric to Pray in Vatican

In June of this year, the Vatican invited a Muslim cleric and a rabbi to pray together with the Pope. This smacks prophetically of a one-world religion and should alarm Christians everywhere. But God is in control, and all that happens is because He allows the events to fulfill His Prophetic Word.

I have to think that the priest telling his congregation the lie about Allah is not a fluke. Perhaps the Vatican is telling Catholic priests to preach that Allah and the Lord God Almighty are one and the same.

Satan knows that the end is near.

Corruption in the Vatican

Anyone can search the history of the Vatican and find appalling corruption with each new Pope. But nothing can compare with the Vatican during the reign of Hitler in Nazi Germany:

It has been asked repeatedly, did the Pope not utter a solemn denunciation of this crime against the Jews and against humanity? It has been demanded, did he not give a clear moral and spiritual lead to Catholic priests throughout Europe? In June 1941, when the Vichy French government introduced “Jewish laws” closely modeled upon the Nuremberg Laws, the Pope responded to appeals from French bishops by stating that such laws were not in conflict with Catholic teaching. Later efforts by the British, Americans and Poles to persuade the Vatican to publish a specific condemnation of Nazi extermination of the Jews fell on deaf ears. The Pope, came the reply, could only issue a general condemnation of wartime atrocities. “A strong and openly voiced papal line might have silenced those Catholic bishops throughout Europe who actively and fervently collaborated with their Nazi masters.” –Ronnie S. Landou, The Nazi Holocaust, pp. 216-217

I cannot understand how a person who has been saved by our Lord Jesus and begins to read the Holy Word of God could remain in the Roman Catholic Church. The only reason I could see a person remaining there would be if they felt the leading from God that they were to share the message of salvation with other Catholics. I still think that a person such as this should seek out a place of worship where God’s Word is preached boldly.

Brethren, we are to obey God. He has given us all that we need in His Word. We are to be as the Bereans were–searching the Scriptures to see if what we were told is so.

Another article I wrote about our Jesus from the Bible Vs. Isa from the Qur’an:

“Chrislam is the Ultimate Deception: Jesus is NOT Isa from the Qur’an”

Dave Hunt speaks on “A Woman Rides the Beast.”

Video: A Woman Rides the Beast – Dave Hunt – Bible Studies

The evil one is always standing by to confuse and lie to us!

“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

How Can I Be Saved?

Shalom b’Yeshua

MARANATHA!