Differentiating between what is of God and what is not

Recently, I dreamt of a person whom I know, a beloved of God, and he was approached by someone whom he has lost touch with for a long time but suddenly reappeared and wanted to meet up. The dream was so real. In the dream, I literally knew there was a red flag. I knew in my spirit that person who reappeared didn't come with good intention, and meant to take advantage of that beloved of God. 

When I woke up, I prayed for protection, wisdom, and discernment for that beloved of God. Now, why do I share this? Because the Lord also has a general message for all of us, His beloved. What is that message?  

The Lord says: "Beware, My people! Be alert, My people! The enemy has begun using very new means and new ways to deceive you and bring you into agreement with him! Do not buy all those deceptions! Do not allow yourself to come into agreement with what the enemy offers! This is the time to receive My wisdom and discernment to deal with all those trickeries of the enemy! I am releasing such wisdom and discernment upon you now!" 

Before we go further, what is the definition of this word 'discernment'? It is 'diakrisis' in Greek. It means 'to separate (what is, and what is not) thoroughly'. In the context of our message today, it means 'to separate what is of God and what is not of God'. In other words, is the 'offer' from God? Or is the 'offer' not of God? Or worse still, is the 'offer' coming directly from the enemy in order to trap you? 

I'm not just talking about financial scams here. It's more than that. I'm talking also about spiritual or religious deception. And all kinds of other deceptions. So, beware, God's people! 

That's why, in this perilous and dangerous time, you need the Holy Spirit in your life all the more! Communing with the Holy Spirit all the more! Walking closer and closer with the Holy Spirit all the more! You see, Holy Spirit should always be your closest friend and best friend in life! You know why? Because Holy Spirit knows all, and is all-wise, and is wiser than all the trickeries of human or the devil put together! 

In Matthew 10:16, Jesus said this: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless (innocent) as doves." 

Many people ask this question: "What does 'Be wise as serpents' mean here?" Don't get Jesus wrong. Jesus didn't say you become a serpent! No! That's not what Jesus meant. But what Jesus meant here is no matter how tricky or deceptive the devil or any bad person is, you are still able to handle it, counter it, and overcome it. In other words, God can give you this ability to deal with the most extreme of trickeries or deceptions that the devil or bad people conjure up. 

Now, here's a piece of good news for you. What is that good news? The Lord is releasing His wisdom and discerning ability upon you right now! Receive this by faith, beloved. You know why? Because you are going to need this. As you receive, you can develop it and train yourself to be more and more discerning. With this ability, you can detect and discern who is trying to take advantage of you, use you, or even abuse you. And with this ability, you can also detect and discern what is behind (or beneath) the outward show, facade, or sweet talk of certain so and so. 

But what is the key for you to have this ability? The key is to follow the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit! Remember, for those who are led by the Holy Spirit, these are sons of God (Romans 8:14). So, right now, let the Holy Spirit work in you, in the inside of you. With the Holy Spirit with you and in you, you can sense if you have 'peace' or 'no peace' in your spirit regarding something. You can sense if you have the 'green light' or 'red light' regarding something. The Holy Spirit will show you. Follow the Holy Spirit's leading, guidance, and direction, and you'll be doing fine. Amen! 

Therefore, beloved of God, allow your life to be Holy Spirit led, and not 'sweet talk' led, 'human idea' led, or 'human ideology' led. You know why? Because not every human idea is from God. 

What is the key to receiving the Holy Spirit's guidance? Spend time with the Word and with the Spirit! Remember, Word and Spirit, Spirit and Word! These are pillars in your walk with God! 

In John 8:31-32, Jesus says: "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 

Free in what? Free in every sense of the word 'free' here. Free not just from any bondage or curse, but also free from any deception or lies of the enemy!

In John 14:26, Jesus says: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name (He has already sent), He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." 

The more you spend time with the Word of God and the Spirit of God, the more likely you'll be able to discern correctly what is of God and what is not of God. There's really no other way around it. That's why the enemy will do anything to distract you from reading the Word of God and praying in the spirit. Because the enemy knows how powerful these are! 

As you read this message today, receive also the impartation of God's wisdom and discernment upon your life! Receive God's wisdom in a greater measure! Receive God's enabling in a greater measure! Receive discernment in a greater measure. Amen! 

Prayer:

"O Lord God, we want to respond to Your words today. We want to walk deeper in Your Word and Your Spirit. We receive Your divine wisdom to know what we ought to do and what we ought not to do. We receive discernment as to what is of You and what is not of You. Lead us, guide us, and teach us to make the right decisions in our lives, going forward. Lead us, guide us, and teach us to avoid the traps and pitfalls that the enemy has set for us. We thank You, O Lord, for giving us the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things, who is all-knowing and all-wise, and who sees farther than any one of us can see. In Jesus' name. Amen." 

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You have a weapon that punctures the enemy!

The Lord says for this time: 

"Never give up speaking My Word over your situation! Never give up declaring My Word over your situation! For My Word is like a sword, like a hammer, like a dagger, and like a fire! My Word slays the enemy! My Word pierces through the darkness! My Word penetrates and punctures the power of the evil one! My Word burns, cleanses, and purges! My Word overcomes!" 

There are many symbols of the Word of God in the Bible. One is sword. The other is hammer. Another is fire. Yet another is dagger. These are, among others, symbolic of the Word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) says, 'For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword...' 

In Jeremiah 23:29 (NKJV), the Lord says, "Is not My word like a fire? And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" 

For today, let's zero in on 'dagger' as symbolic of the Word of God. You can see this in Judges chapter 3 about this person named Ehud. For the record, there was an era when God's people were ruled by judges who led them through different crisis and challenges. One of these judges was Ehud.  

'Ehud' in Hebrew means 'united, joined, strong'. This reflected the unity and strength that Ehud brought to God's people those days. 

So, let's go to the Bible now and look at Judges 3:14-15. At that time, God's people have been conquered by a king named Eglon (a king of Moab); and they have served Eglon for eighteen years. But when God's people cried out to the Lord because of the oppression they have suffered under Eglon, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them named Ehud.

The Bible tells us that Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and about one foot in length), and he strapped it under his clothes on his right thigh. One day, after paying a tribute to Eglon, he took the dagger and thrust it into Eglon's belly, and Eglon died.

Now, let me be clear on this. As believers today under the New Covenant, we are not fighting (or wrestling against) flesh and blood, but against all those spiritual forces of darkness (see Ephesians 6:12). Rather, this act of piercing through Eglon's body with the dagger is symbolic of the Word of God piercing through the power of darkness that oppresses us! 

Beloved of God, no matter how weak you think you are, or how dead your situation may be, or how hard-pressed you are right now, the Word of God that you speak and declare over your situation is powerful and alive! Never underestimate the power of the Word of God! It effectively penetrates and punctures the power of darkness that tries to have a hold on you! 

So, go ahead! Speak it! Declare it! Proclaim it! Whatever Bible verse (or Bible verses) the Lord has shown you, given you, or put in your heart in this time and season, speak it and declare it over your situation! There is a reason the Lord shows you all these Bible verses. Use it! Wield it! Like Ehud did against Eglon! Draw it out! Strike it against the power of darkness that tries to oppress you, whatever the oppression may be! You have this spiritual weapon, the Word of God, that is more powerful than any word of darkness or work of darkness that comes against you! 

Like Ehud, you can change the situation that you are facing now, whatever the situation may be. For some, it may be a problem in your health. For some others, it may be a lingering problem in your family. Yet for some others, it may be a sticky situation at your workplace. How? By declaring God's Word into being! By speaking God's Word over your situation! 

So, watch and see what are the words that the Lord has been speaking to you in this time and season. Use it! Speak it! Declare it! Declare it over your life! Declare it over your situation! Declare it over your family! Declare it over every area of your life!

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Words from the Lord: "A time for reset and new beginning!"

The Lord says: 

"There's a refreshing in the spirit and a fresh outpouring being released upon you right now. Whatever that has been stale and stagnant, I am releasing a freshness from My Spirit right now. Do not look back. Do not linger in all those regrets and disappointments that you've had. For I am saying to you there will be many new beginnings as you walk into this new month." 

The Lord says:

"The enemy has tried to break you, and there have been times you are on the verge of giving up, but I have been there with you all along. You may not see it, but I have been there. I am now releasing a new strength and fresh anointing upon you. The anointing that breaks every yoke and bondage. You will have a new authority in the spirit. You will have the authority to overcome what you've not been able to overcome in the recent months. Receive this authority by faith." 

The Lord says for this month: 

"This month, I am resetting many things that have gone wrong in your life. Look to Me and receive from Me. For I have a rescue plan for you. I will know how to draw you out from the miry clay and set you upon the rock. I will know how to pull you out of the pit and the dungeon that the enemy has tried to throw you into. For I have given you the anointing and authority to overcome. I have given you the victory!" 

The term 'miry clay' here is used in the Bible to describe a thick, sticky, and muddy substance that can trap and ensnare you. Therefore, 'miry clay' speaks of a difficult, unstable, or perilous situation that you are facing, and evokes a sense of getting stuck, bogged down, or unable to move on or progress in your life. 

So beloved of God, if you have been stuck, or bogged down, or cannot progress in your life, this message is for you! 

Psalm 40:2 (NKJV) says, 'He also brought me up out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.' 

Psalm 60:4-5 (NKJV) says, 'You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. That Your beloved may be delivered. Save with Your right hand, and hear me.' 

The word 'banner' here is 'nes' in Hebrew. It literally means 'flag'. What does this speak of? It speaks of God's victory for His beloved. And that's you and I! That's why, no matter what you have been going through in your life recently, this is your time to claim your victory! 

In cross-reference, Exodus 17:13-16 (NKJV) says, 'So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." And Moses built an altar and called its name, THE-LORD-IS-MY-BANNER; for he said, "Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."' 

THE-LORD-IS-MY-BANNER here is 'YHWH Nissi' in Hebrew. This word 'Nissi' is from the word 'nes' in Hebrew, which we saw just now, and it speaks of God's victory for His beloved. 

What does 'Amalek' signify here? This name 'Amaleq' in Hebrew speaks of 'unprovoked attack or habitual attack against God's beloved'. In other words, constantly finding any chance or opportunity to attack God's beloved. 

In response to this attack, Moses told Joshua's army to fight a military battle against the Amalekites. If you look at the Scripture, Joshua's army relied on the Lord as they fought this battle. With the Lord's help, and with the Lord's guidance, they eventually won! It was an outright victory. It was a resounding victory. Why? Because the Lord was with them! The Lord is their Banner! YHWH Nissi! 

Back to David now in Psalm 60:4-5. Here, David was also going through a time when he faced attack from the enemy. And what did David do? If you look at Psalm 60, he looked to the Lord! He looked to the Lord who would raise a banner against the attack of the enemy. You see again? A banner! YHWH Nissi! The Lord our Banner! The Lord our victory! 

So beloved of God, whatever the attack of the enemy may be; be it in your health, in your family, in your career, in the ministry, or in any area of your life; look to the Lord who is your YHWH Nissi! He will know how to rescue you! He will know how to give you the victory! 

We've read Psalm 60:4-5 in New King James Version (NKJV). Now let's read from New Living Translation (NLT). This is interesting. This is how the translators put it: 'But You have raised a banner for those who fear You - a rallying point in the face of attack. Now rescue Your beloved people. Answer and save us by Your power.' 

You see, not by the power of man, but by the power of God! 

By the way, what is 'a rallying point'? It is defined as 'someone or something that unites the people in the face of an attack'. In our context here, the Lord is uniting and joining together with us in the face of an attack by the enemy. And if God is joined together with you, if God is with you, if God is for you, who can be against you? (Romans 8:31)

The word 'rescue' here in Psalm 60 is 'khawlats' in Hebrew. It can mean 'to draw you out (from trouble)', or 'to pull you out (from danger)'. That's exactly what God is doing in your life right now! 

Not just that. The Lord is also resetting many things that have gone wrong in your life! Now, different people different. For some of you, it may be in the area of health. For some of you, it may be in the area of finance. For some of you, it may be in your career. And for some of you, it may be in the ministry. Whatever it may be, the Lord is saying to you today that He is resetting many things that have gone wrong in your life! 

The word 'reset' can be defined as 'to set things (afresh and anew) again'. So, today, allow the Lord to reset you! It is like you resetting your password. Why do people reset their password? There are a few reasons. One reason can be to enhance security against any hacker or any cyber attack. Another reason may be they have forgotten their old password. Yet another reason may be simply because they just want to start afresh. 

Whatever your situation may be, the Lord wants to reset your life and your situation. Why? So that the enemy cannot 'touch' you, 'attack' you, or 'compromise' you anymore! That's why the Lord is resetting you! Yes, resetting your situation! Turning things right side up! Turning things for your good! Reversing whatever the enemy has done against you! Rolling it back against the enemy! So that you will come forth even stronger than before! Amen! Hallelujah!

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