WEBVTT 00:00:00.330 --> 00:00:07.089 Well, sir, get your Bibles out. I'm a stickler 00:00:07.089 --> 00:00:11.130 for the Word of God. Oh, do you want to know 00:00:11.130 --> 00:00:15.689 something? There is no substitute for the Bible. 00:00:16.750 --> 00:00:23.530 I mean that with all of my heart. When you realize 00:00:23.530 --> 00:00:32.119 that every human being Adam to the last person 00:00:32.119 --> 00:00:36.100 who will ever be born. From the very beginning 00:00:36.100 --> 00:00:40.659 to the very end, every person one day will be 00:00:40.659 --> 00:00:46.479 judged according to, thus saith the Lord, the 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:51.439 Bible. It makes it a mighty important book, believe 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:57.880 me. This is the very word of God. Men and women 00:00:57.880 --> 00:01:02.000 need to get... Back to the Bible, to thus saith 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:06.700 the Lord. All right, get it out. And again, we 00:01:06.700 --> 00:01:09.280 are continuing our little heart -to -heart talk 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:13.180 regarding the gifts of the Spirit. Today, we're 00:01:13.180 --> 00:01:17.620 going to talk about the gift of the discerning 00:01:17.620 --> 00:01:22.180 of spirits. The 12th chapter, 1 Corinthians, 00:01:22.540 --> 00:01:30.129 and as the gifts of the Spirit. or named, we 00:01:30.129 --> 00:01:37.329 have these words, to another discerning of spirits. 00:01:38.849 --> 00:01:43.109 Now, this may seem to contradict what John teaches 00:01:43.109 --> 00:01:47.390 in the fourth chapter of 1 John, when he tells 00:01:47.390 --> 00:01:54.510 us to cry the spirits. This might seem to some 00:01:54.510 --> 00:01:59.310 to be a contradiction. The matter of trying the 00:01:59.310 --> 00:02:03.450 spirits and the matter of the discerning of spirits. 00:02:05.129 --> 00:02:10.590 Now, there is a difference between trying the 00:02:10.590 --> 00:02:16.629 spirits and discerning the spirits. They are 00:02:16.629 --> 00:02:23.370 not the same. Know that. When John said, try 00:02:23.370 --> 00:02:26.520 the spirits, He was not talking about the same 00:02:26.520 --> 00:02:29.180 thing that Paul was talking about here in the 00:02:29.180 --> 00:02:32.979 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians. The discerning 00:02:32.979 --> 00:02:38.060 of the spirits. Believers are instructed to try 00:02:38.060 --> 00:02:44.039 or to test the spirits. That's what John was 00:02:44.039 --> 00:02:48.400 talking about. How are we to try the spirits? 00:02:49.479 --> 00:02:54.919 How are we to test the spirit? to find out whether 00:02:54.919 --> 00:02:59.659 it is the spirit of God, the spirit of Christ, 00:02:59.900 --> 00:03:05.439 the Holy Spirit, or whether it is the spirit 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:11.139 of the evil one, whether it is demon power, whether 00:03:11.139 --> 00:03:16.900 it is the wrong spirit. We're told to try the 00:03:16.900 --> 00:03:22.060 spirit, to test the spirit. But how? We test. 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:27.460 the Spirit by the written, revealed, inspired 00:03:27.460 --> 00:03:37.139 Word of God. Any spirit that operates contrary 00:03:37.139 --> 00:03:43.659 to the Word of God is not of God. Always know 00:03:43.659 --> 00:03:47.199 that. Do you really know how important the Bible 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:51.280 is? That's what's wrong. Many of us have gotten 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:55.900 so Far away from the Bible. We've gotten so far 00:03:55.900 --> 00:04:00.199 away from the Word of God. So far away from the 00:04:00.199 --> 00:04:03.900 teaching of Christ that we scarcely recognize 00:04:03.900 --> 00:04:08.840 the Scripture. When we hear it taught, when we 00:04:08.840 --> 00:04:14.219 read it, we need to come back again to the Bible. 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:18.480 And I don't care who you are, what church you 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:21.569 attend. Whether you're Protestant, whether you're 00:04:21.569 --> 00:04:24.269 weak Orthodox, whether you're Catholic, whether 00:04:24.269 --> 00:04:28.350 you're Jew, whether you're Gentile, humanity 00:04:28.350 --> 00:04:32.829 needs to come back again to thus saith the Lord. 00:04:32.910 --> 00:04:37.750 Come back again to the Bible. Yes, ma 'am. And 00:04:37.750 --> 00:04:42.170 when John was talking about trying the spirits, 00:04:42.230 --> 00:04:50.870 he was talking about believers. putting the Spirit 00:04:50.870 --> 00:04:55.310 to the test, and to test them by the written, 00:04:55.509 --> 00:05:01.949 the revealed, the inspired Word of God. This 00:05:01.949 --> 00:05:05.730 gift that the Holy Spirit gives, this wonderful 00:05:05.730 --> 00:05:08.930 gift that's mentioned here in the 12th chapter 00:05:08.930 --> 00:05:11.050 of 1 Corinthians, is something different entirely. 00:05:11.949 --> 00:05:18.149 The gift of discerning spirits. I want you to 00:05:18.149 --> 00:05:24.689 know something. It is not natural judgment. Some 00:05:24.689 --> 00:05:33.089 people are just born with a natural sensibility. 00:05:34.069 --> 00:05:41.689 They just naturally sense certain things. It's 00:05:41.689 --> 00:05:47.360 a natural intuitiveness. But that which is spoken 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:51.959 of in the Word of God is not natural judgment 00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:57.680 that some people have. It's not merely having 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:03.399 the supposed ability to detect demon power in 00:06:03.399 --> 00:06:11.100 people. I really believe that any born -again, 00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:19.199 spirit -filled person can detect demon power. 00:06:21.399 --> 00:06:27.120 It is something that when you are sensitive to 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:32.139 the spirit, when you are filled with the spirit, 00:06:32.339 --> 00:06:42.560 you can just naturally detect, sense demon power. 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:49.459 No. That's not what is involved here in the discerning 00:06:49.459 --> 00:06:56.100 of spirits. And then, you know, I've seen a couple 00:06:56.100 --> 00:06:59.839 old sisters in my lifetime who were dead sure 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:04.980 that they had the gift of discernment, and all 00:07:04.980 --> 00:07:07.959 on earth they had was the gift of judging, and 00:07:07.959 --> 00:07:12.339 they were awful good at that. At least they thought 00:07:12.339 --> 00:07:17.490 they were. Oh! You know, they really went in 00:07:17.490 --> 00:07:25.089 where angels feared to tread. They judged their 00:07:25.089 --> 00:07:29.089 neighbors. They judged everybody in the church. 00:07:29.189 --> 00:07:31.329 Oh, you got them in your church, too. Don't sit 00:07:31.329 --> 00:07:35.009 there. You know, in your own church, in your 00:07:35.009 --> 00:07:38.430 own assembly, you have some dear sister who's 00:07:38.430 --> 00:07:40.689 dead sure she's got the gift of discernment. 00:07:42.300 --> 00:07:44.519 She can tell you everybody in church who's demon 00:07:44.519 --> 00:07:47.600 -possessed. She can tell you what's wrong with 00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:52.120 everybody in the assembly because she professes 00:07:52.120 --> 00:07:57.000 to have the gift of discernment. Forget it. All 00:07:57.000 --> 00:08:02.439 on earth that she has is just a spirit of judging. 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:09.300 That's all. Nothing more, nothing less. And it 00:08:09.300 --> 00:08:14.850 is not of the Holy Spirit. Let's get right down 00:08:14.850 --> 00:08:19.910 now to what this discerning of spirits really 00:08:19.910 --> 00:08:25.329 is. How should one define the gift of the discerning 00:08:25.329 --> 00:08:29.930 of spirits? And I think I can best give the answer 00:08:29.930 --> 00:08:34.929 in just these few words. We might say that the 00:08:34.929 --> 00:08:39.110 discerning of spirits is a gift of the Holy Spirit 00:08:42.750 --> 00:08:51.669 is enabled to see into the spirit world. Lot 00:08:51.669 --> 00:08:58.809 saw something that those around him did not see. 00:08:59.190 --> 00:09:03.690 Oh, I just love this portion of the Word of God. 00:09:04.610 --> 00:09:08.070 I think I have never owned a Bible, but what 00:09:08.070 --> 00:09:11.529 I've had this portion of the Word of God march. 00:09:12.519 --> 00:09:16.539 with a red pencil. Just for my own satisfaction, 00:09:16.840 --> 00:09:20.820 I read it ever so often. The 19th chapter of 00:09:20.820 --> 00:09:25.259 Genesis. And you will remember that when I had 00:09:25.259 --> 00:09:30.419 a previous series of messages on angels, I read 00:09:30.419 --> 00:09:33.820 this portion of the Word of God to you. You can 00:09:33.820 --> 00:09:43.409 see how real angels are. Oh, believe me. Angels 00:09:43.409 --> 00:09:49.929 are real in my life. And when David said he shall 00:09:49.929 --> 00:09:56.929 give his angels charge over you, he meant exactly 00:09:56.929 --> 00:10:03.850 that. This very hour, I believe that out there 00:10:03.850 --> 00:10:08.330 on the battlefield, there are legions of angels 00:10:08.330 --> 00:10:16.320 who are protecting. Our boys. That mother's son. 00:10:17.720 --> 00:10:20.700 Listen, precious mother, you have not prayed 00:10:20.700 --> 00:10:24.940 in vain. Precious little grandmother out there, 00:10:24.980 --> 00:10:29.220 and I feel sorry for the boy who does not have 00:10:29.220 --> 00:10:33.559 a godly mother or a godly father or a precious 00:10:33.559 --> 00:10:37.080 old -fashioned grandmother or some saint of God 00:10:37.080 --> 00:10:43.070 who's praying for him. given to individuals is 00:10:43.070 --> 00:10:49.549 the power of prayer. And he has literally tens 00:10:49.549 --> 00:10:54.590 of thousands of thousands of angels who guard, 00:10:54.970 --> 00:11:01.450 who protect, who care for the children of God. 00:11:02.470 --> 00:11:06.730 Little do I know, little do you know how near 00:11:06.730 --> 00:11:11.860 we have come to danger. had it not been for the 00:11:11.860 --> 00:11:16.460 protection of the angel, the Lord. That's scripture. 00:11:17.379 --> 00:11:25.419 That's the word of God. And yet, I have never 00:11:25.419 --> 00:11:32.019 seen an angel. I can tell you that I have really 00:11:32.019 --> 00:11:41.370 seen an angel. But there's one who has. I wish 00:11:41.370 --> 00:11:45.090 right now I could bring him and say, sit down, 00:11:45.090 --> 00:11:50.590 Mr. Lott. Sit down by my side. Tell me all about 00:11:50.590 --> 00:11:57.730 that wonderful experience. When you were the 00:11:57.730 --> 00:12:02.909 possessor of that wonderful gift whereby you 00:12:02.909 --> 00:12:08.370 were enabled to see into the spirit world. This 00:12:08.370 --> 00:12:13.789 is what he saw. And there came two angels to 00:12:13.789 --> 00:12:20.070 Sodom it even, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. 00:12:20.710 --> 00:12:28.370 And Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet them. And 00:12:28.370 --> 00:12:31.470 he bowed himself with his face toward the ground, 00:12:31.590 --> 00:12:36.350 and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I 00:12:36.350 --> 00:12:39.700 pray you. into your servant's house, and carry 00:12:39.700 --> 00:12:45.480 all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise 00:12:45.480 --> 00:12:49.240 up early, and go on your way. And they said, 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:53.500 Nay, but we will abide in the street all night. 00:12:54.139 --> 00:12:57.700 And he pressed upon them greatly, and they turned 00:12:57.700 --> 00:13:02.759 in unto him, entered into his house, and he made 00:13:02.759 --> 00:13:06.220 them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, 00:13:06.830 --> 00:13:13.129 And they did each. I do not believe that anyone 00:13:13.129 --> 00:13:18.409 else saw what Lot saw. But he had been given 00:13:18.409 --> 00:13:23.350 that wonderful gift, which enabled him to see 00:13:23.350 --> 00:13:30.730 into the spirit world. These were angels. Angels 00:13:30.730 --> 00:13:39.600 with bodies. And angels... are just as real in 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:42.980 your life and just as real in my life as they 00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:48.039 were in the life of Lot. Only he was given a 00:13:48.039 --> 00:13:50.940 gift whereby he could see into the spirit world 00:13:50.940 --> 00:13:54.460 and he saw them. I do not believe that anyone 00:13:54.460 --> 00:14:01.080 else around him saw what Lot saw. When an angel 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:03.320 appears in the presence of a number of God's 00:14:03.320 --> 00:14:08.039 people in spirit form, Only those who have the 00:14:08.039 --> 00:14:13.820 gift of the discerning of spirits will see the 00:14:13.820 --> 00:14:18.200 angels. Ezekiel saw the overwhelming revelation 00:14:18.200 --> 00:14:21.899 of the glory of the Lord. What the cherubim beneath 00:14:21.899 --> 00:14:27.700 the throne, no one else saw. No one else saw 00:14:27.700 --> 00:14:33.360 what Ezekiel saw. Later, while Ezekiel was sitting 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:39.799 in his house, elders of Israel before him, he 00:14:39.799 --> 00:14:41.980 was carried away in the Spirit to Jerusalem. 00:14:43.100 --> 00:14:46.860 And he saw the things that were taking place 00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:53.059 in that city. The Holy Spirit had given him a 00:14:53.059 --> 00:14:57.980 gift whereby he could see the things that were 00:14:57.980 --> 00:15:02.279 taking place in that city. Read it. It's in the 00:15:02.279 --> 00:15:06.919 37th chapter of Ezekiel. No one else around him 00:15:06.919 --> 00:15:12.299 saw it. One of the greatest things, and oh, they're 00:15:12.299 --> 00:15:16.240 just portions of the word that mean an awful 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:20.399 lot to me. It's all wonderful, of course. But 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:24.960 there's something about the seventh chapter of 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:33.759 Acts. It's the stoning of Stephen. Let me read 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:38.350 it to you. For, beloved, this is one of the greatest 00:15:38.350 --> 00:15:41.830 examples of that which I am trying to say to 00:15:41.830 --> 00:15:46.250 you. And the best way that I can express it is 00:15:46.250 --> 00:15:52.269 just letting the word of God speak. And when 00:15:52.269 --> 00:15:55.269 they heard these things, they were cut to the 00:15:55.269 --> 00:15:58.929 heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 00:15:59.990 --> 00:16:06.120 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, And remember 00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:10.480 something. This is just before his martyrdom. 00:16:11.299 --> 00:16:17.080 He was standing in the council. He was not on 00:16:17.080 --> 00:16:20.379 the streets. He was not at this moment being 00:16:20.379 --> 00:16:26.159 stoned. He was not dying at this moment, as some 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:30.240 would have you think. Some would have you believe 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:34.460 that he was in a coma. Some would have you believe 00:16:34.460 --> 00:16:38.759 that he was dying. He had all of his senses. 00:16:40.500 --> 00:16:46.980 It was as he stood in the council and he, being 00:16:46.980 --> 00:16:51.019 full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly 00:16:51.019 --> 00:16:57.299 into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus 00:16:57.299 --> 00:17:03.080 standing on the right hand of God and said, behold, 00:17:03.340 --> 00:17:08.259 I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing 00:17:08.259 --> 00:17:12.759 on the right hand of God. Then they cried out 00:17:12.759 --> 00:17:14.660 with a loud voice and stopped their ears and 00:17:14.660 --> 00:17:19.640 ran upon him with one cord and cast him out of 00:17:19.640 --> 00:17:25.420 the city and stoned him. But remember something. 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:30.980 God gave him that glorious gift of revelation. 00:17:31.609 --> 00:17:37.210 That glorious gift of looking into the spirit 00:17:37.210 --> 00:17:42.049 world before a stone ever touched his body. Oh, 00:17:42.390 --> 00:17:47.430 that's thrilling. And I do not believe that there 00:17:47.430 --> 00:17:53.529 was one in that council who saw what he saw. 00:17:53.630 --> 00:18:03.039 Not one. Even that man nearest him saw. what 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:10.079 he saw. Let me ask the question and answer it 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:14.859 again. How should one define the gift of the 00:18:14.859 --> 00:18:22.480 discerning of the spirits? We might say that 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:27.720 the discerning of spirits is a gift of the Holy 00:18:27.720 --> 00:18:32.960 Spirit to an individual. to a person by which 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:39.019 the possessor is enabled to see into the spirit 00:18:39.019 --> 00:18:47.940 world. Remember, over and over this gift was 00:18:47.940 --> 00:18:52.200 exercised by Jesus. In the 10th chapter of Luke, 00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:58.660 the scripture says, he saw Satan as lightning. 00:19:00.099 --> 00:19:05.599 fall from heaven. That's the word of God. Amen.