sgys banner books

Discernment increases proportionately with the knowledge of the truth.

“A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. 6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Proverbs 24:5-6

Jesus was so full of the Word of God as a young boy that He was able to discern truth from error. Knowing the truth is the most important element of discerning. As we become intimately familiar with divine truth, we will increasingly and more astutely discern evil, falsehood, error (Luke 2:46-52).

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he eat (truth), that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.” Isaiah 7:14-15 

As a young Jewish boy, Jesus grew in the knowledge of God by meticulous, diligent study of the Holy Scriptures.

“And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. … 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” Luke 2:46-47, 52 

The Benefits of being Exercised in God’s Word

“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14

“by reason of use” – It’s by increasing in the knowledge of God, the Word of God, that one will “have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Those who are rich in God’s Word are growing in His discernment, able to divide between the holy and the profane and to stand and declare God’s truth (Ezekiel 44:23-24). This is exactly the testimony of Scripture concerning our LORD Himself.

The only way to rightly divide, to properly understand the Word of God as He intends it to be understood, is to study His Word.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

All men, especially those who teach, are to be judged, discerned against the written Word, which is the final divine authority.

“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 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 17:10-11

A vibrant community of disciples is what the Bereans had going on. They were diligently, daily pouring over the Scriptures, individually and together. They counseled together to discern divine truth. They were rich in the Precepts of God and able therefore to test all things against it.

“Search the scriptures…” John 5:39

Age, growing older, does not mean one is growing in wisdom. Also, individual disciples can be far ahead of their years by the meticulous study of the Holy Scriptures.

“I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.” Psalms 119:99-100

God’s Word is to dwell richly, abundantly in the hearts and minds of God’s people. We are to cherish God’s Word, our spiritual food, higher, more important than our physical food.

“Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” Job 23:12

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly (abundantly) in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

The earliest saints of Christ communed, were dwelling richly in “the apostles doctrine” which is the Word of God (Acts 2:42).

“Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.” Proverbs 20:18

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14

Believers who both study privately and with other true disciples, grow exponentially in knowledge, divine strength, and discernment.

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17  

Those who are true to God, His true servants, teach discernment:

“And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments (Word): and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.” Ezekiel 44:23-24

Disciples are students and those who are learning the Word are growing in His discernment, able to divide between the holy and the profane and to stand and declare God’s truth (Ezekiel 44:23-24).

Discernment and Deception | The Blessings of Bible Reading | Grace and Truth Bible School Modules (available upon request) | Study Guides | The Importance of Personal, Organic Bible Study |

HAVE YOU noticed how amazing it is that most of those who are going to argue a Bible topic, seeking to justify their heresies:

  1. Never use Scripture in their argument or if they do, it’s out of context (usually regurgitated from wolves) and they refuse to be corrected when clearly shown the biblical context. This is because they don’t know it nor do they want to know it because they may feel convicted to repent if they were to know it.
  2. Their own social media page has little or usually NO Scripture on it and yet they’re going to be the Bible hero on your page. SMH

Jesus says the devil is a liar from the beginning, WHEN shall we cease being deceived by Him? WHEN shall we hearken strictly unto the Word of our God? (John 8:44; Hosea 4:6) Discernment

Join Us

We saved a place for you to receive our weekly newsletter.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

STORE | SupportThe Return of Christ | Stewardship | Jesus Sat Over Against The Treasury [podcast]10 Clues Your Love for God has Waxed Cold [podcast]Where to Give and Where Not to Give | Fruit Abounding to Your Account!Parable of the Talents [podcast] | Proving Jesus Matters [podcast]Money, Material Wealth, and RichesRusted Gold and Fire Untold [podcast]

Lay Down Your Life – Now!

Our Sin Should Lay us at His Feet [podcast]

First Love First Works

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

Abiding

JESUS CHRIST TOLD US TO OVERCOME TO THE END [video]

Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison MinistryMexico Mission here | All Ministry Updates | The Return of ChristStewardshipApostate Modern Church Exposed | Beware of the BUZZ WORD Bandits [podcast] | Preach the WordWolves Exposed | Church Membership Exposed | 100’s of Christ-centered, Scripture-rich Podcasts | Knowing God | The Cross Life | Christology = the Study of Christ

Join Us

We saved a place for you to receive our weekly newsletter.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

Continue Reading

Abiding

Walking in Godly Integrity Means Paying Restitution Where Needed [podcast]

“And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” Acts 24:16

Truth: The LORD is watching everything you think and do and will bring you into judgment for it all – all (Proverbs 15:3; 20:11; 23:7; Mark 12:41-44; Romans 14:10, etc.). What’s your judgment going to look like?

“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 

Jesus taught that only the “honest” will be with Him (Luke 8:15). The dishonest, “ALL … liars” will perish irrevocably in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). Those who’ve brought harm to others and have the opportunity to restore what they took (financially, emotionally, etc.) prove who they are by what they do or do not do. Those who take personal responsibility for the harm they brought on another, will be blessed. Those who don’t will be shut out, “cut off” from God (Romans 11:20-22).

“Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,” 2 Corinthians 6:3-4

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

Godly Integrity owns up to its personal responsibility to make amends where we have caused hurt. Restitution. A man of godly integrity never runs from his personal responsibility to repair and restore where he has brought harm – with his words, attitudes, or actions. This is exactly what happens when a man truly repents and gives his life to Christ. Zacchaeus is a great example to us of this. Like Zacchaeus, when we truly repent, there will always be good fruit, amends for our wrongdoing. Watch this closely. Watch what this man does after getting right with God:

Luke 19

1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

5 (the call and command) And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

6 (obedience) And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. (that’s exactly why Jesus came!)

8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. (true repentance always brings for the fruit of restitution Matthew 3:7-10)

9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

As we see in this case with Zacchaeus when he repented, turning to Jesus the Savior, true repentance always brings for the fruit of restitution. See Matthew 3:7-10.

Zacchaeus is a great example. When, if that true repentance happens in his heart, if the sinner, the transgressor allows it, there will be a practical restitution to those he’s harmed by his sin. Soon as he repented he wanted to pay restitution to those he’d harmed.

“Verse 8 is one of the strongest in the Bible on restitution. Salvation does not relieve a person from righting the wrongs of the past. Debts contracted during one’s unconverted days are not canceled by the new birth. And if money was stolen before salvation, then a true sense of the grace of God requires that this money be repaid after a person has become a child of God.” William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary

There’s no such thing as a person who is right with God and not making restitution for those he’s hurt.

INTEGRITY: If you owe someone $1,000 and can’t pay it all at once, show integrity and send them $ every month or week till you’ve paid them off. If you don’t, you show yourself to be a man who is without integrity (Proverbs 20:7). Soon as you begin paying back, you demonstrate the earnest of your integrity.

Jesus teaches us that we are wasting our time attempting to relate to or pray to the Father in His name if we have issues that need to be clear up with another.

God will not answer the prayer of any person who does not honor and obey His Word and if a person has an outstanding offense He wants them to clear up these matters (Proverbs 28:9, 13).

“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Matthew 5:23-24

God is not going to bless our lives unless we are willing to sincerely admit our sins, repent and confess them, and make amends (restitution) with anyone we’ve harmed. In the divine economy, there’s no such thing as being right with God when you’ve done another person wrong, haven’t repented, and haven’t made amends for what you’ve done. Such a person will be outside of the will and blessings of God until he makes things right with God and man.

The LORD requires that His people “examine” and “judge” themselves.

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?   2 Corinthians 13:5

Examine and honest judge yourself and amend your ways or God will judge you.

“For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” 1 Corinthians 11:31-32

More Bible Verses on Restitution

Read Exodus 22:1-31

“If a thief be found breaking up (stealing in a burglary, home invasion), and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. 3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.” Exodus 22:2-3

“Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty; 7 Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.” Numbers 5:6-7

“And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. 6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” Genesis 9:5-6

Integrity

Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison MinistryMexico Mission here | All Ministry Updates | Hebrew Hogwash Saved by Grace or Works Righteousness? | Deliverance from Works-Righteousness | Colossal Colossians! | Beware of Dogs | Receive Ye One AnotherBeware of Dogs!

Join Us

We saved a place for you to receive our weekly newsletter.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

Continue Reading

Abiding

TIMES OF REFRESHING FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD! [video]

TIMES OF REFRESHING FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD!

Who’s Ready for Some “RAIN” from Heaven? God desires to refresh His people, to rain His bless-ed mercy, forgiveness, and benefits down on them …. and our part is fresh repentance….

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12 

What are the stated conditions to receive the “rain” of the LORD from Heaven?

  • “Sow to yourselves in RIGHTEOUSNESS”
  • “reap in MERCY”
  • “break up your fallow ground”
  • “for it is time to SEEK the LORD”

“till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” 

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” Acts 3:19

“Times of refreshing” will come exclusively to those who turn to the LORD with a whole heart.

A great prayer right this moment is …. Heavenly Father, please grant me to have a pure heart, a poor in spirit heart, and an heart after Thee. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Repentance is dying so that Christ lives and reigns in your life – not you (Matthew 3:7-10; Romans 6).

Adam Clarke on Hosea 10:12:

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness – Let the seed you sow be of the best kind, and in just measure.

Reap in mercy – By the blessing of God on this ploughing, sowing, and harrowing, you may expect a good crop in harvest.

Break up your fallow ground – Do not be satisfied with a slight furrow; let the land that was fallowed (slightly ploughed) be broken up again with a deep furrow.

For it is time to seek the Lord – This should be immediately done: the season is passing; and if you do not get the seed in the ground, the early rain will be past, and your fields will be unfruitful.

Rain righteousness upon you – God will give you the early rain in due time, and in proper measure. Here are the metaphors, and the application cannot be difficult.. Here are ploughing, fallowing, sowing, harrowing, watering, reaping, threshing, and feeding on the produce of well-directed labor. All may be applied to the human heart, and the work of God upon it. Correction, contrition, conversion, receiving the grace of Christ, bringing forth fruit, etc.”

“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Ezekiel 36:24-27

Most preaching today does not begin at the foundation, does not get to the root cause. This is due to the absence of the original Gospel doctrine of the cross – the divine mandate to be crucified with Christ, which is nowhere to be found coming from the mouths of the “accursed” preachers of “another gospel.” (Galatians 1:6-9)

WHAT do we have without a heart after God? Religion (Acts 13:22).

Most of the social media messages tell us, continually remind us that God loves us but nearly none of them inform us that the God who loves us, sent His Son to die on a cross for us, and requires and commands us to be “crucified with Christ.” (Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:29; Colossians 3:3) Beware of the half-truth false gospel of today! We must walk in the original Gospel – all of it – if we are to escape and not be “Led away with the error of the wicked.” (2 Peter 3:17)

Prescription for those heavy in heart: Read God’s Word. Read it repeatedly, perpetually, daily. NOTHING REPLACES BIBLE READING AND NEVER WILL.

Times of Fasting and prayer gets YOU out of the way so Jesus can reign supreme! Isaiah 58

You are not serious about overcoming sin if you’re not yet setting apart regular times of fasting and prayer. The fact that you don’t want to fast is the clear proof that you need to fast. Currently, your flesh is in control! Once you are broken, you will delight in, you will look forward to those times of regular fasting! Read Isaiah 58. | The Amazing Benefits of Fasting and Prayer

Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison MinistryMexico Mission here | All Ministry Updates | Making Peace with God | It is Finished! | DiscipleshipThe Gospel Centers Upon Christ’s Blood | Christology | The Gospel: What is It?H.O.T. Bible Study [podcast]

Join Us

We saved a place for you to receive our weekly newsletter.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

 

Continue Reading

Categories

donate button round
sgys-books01

Trending