Welcome back to part Three of our series called Discernment, The importance of this remarkable Gift.
Let’s do a recap from our last part of this remarkable series !
We first looked at what is the True meaning of Discernment .
It is the ability to know what the Lord’s will is, for every season, moment and situation of your life. For yourself and for others, the Lord is asking you to help.
Then we learnt two amazing keys for living with true discernment.
The first,
With true discernment, our will, our thoughts and our feelings. Even what we think could happen and the way we believe it should happen. Have no place when we are using the gift of discernment.
It is all about His word, His plan, His purpose and His will.
It’s Totally about Him and no other.
We read this Truth in Isaiah 55:8-9
“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.
Also as seen in Proverbs 3:5-6 (TPT)
Trust in the Lord completely,
and do not rely on your own opinions.
With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do,
and he will lead you wherever you go.
Don’t think for a moment that you know it all,
The second key we learnt for living with true discernment was.
If the Lord has spoken or reveal to you His will, plan, purpose and outcome for a situation.
Then it will happen
As seen in,
Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Then we started looking at a story in the bible. That gave these keys, a practical expression in John 11
It is the story about Lazarus becoming sick and His sisters sending a message to Jesus, to come and heal him.
But instead of doing what He had done and I would suggest want to do. Race over and heal Lazarus. Jesus chose to lay down everything He wanted to do. Instead pick up and declare what the Father is saying. Let’s read this again before we continue with today’s message.
John 11:4-6 (NKJV)
When Jesus heard that (the message from Mary and Martha), He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.
One of the most interesting things about what Jesus declares, is that He declares
“This sickness is not unto death”
But as we are about to discover in a following verse, Lazarus actually dies.
John 11:14 (NKJV)
Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.
So did Jesus get the words from the Father wrong ?
No and we will find this out later in the story !
Here is our first key for today for living with true discernment.
Often on the journey to see His will, plan and purpose revealed. We will experience situations that do not make sense. That can even look completely contrary to His word. He has spoken or revealed to you. The secret in these times is to keep our eyes on Him and just keep walking.
Let me share about a resent time like this for me.
I recently had the amazing privilege to design, plan and run. A national convention for FGBMFI NZ, with a few others.
The Lord had revealed to me, that on the first night of the convention. We would have a Moari culture group, who would honoured Him from a moari perspective. By welcoming all the people, with a pōwhiri, an offical Maori welcoming.
Followed by half an hour of praise and worship in the native tongue of Aotearoa (New Zealand).
The most interesting thing, was even tho we had tried to the best of our ability. We could not find a group who could do this event.
But as the Lord had spoken that we would. I just kept my eyes on Him and kept walking.
We started the convention with this event on the schedule for this first night. Trusting in Him to provide a way.
Then three hours before the event, as I was sitting in a mens meeting. The Lord spoke to me with these words “what if it is not a people but a person ?”
I suddenly realised what He was saying. As there was a Moari Anglican Minister speaking up stairs at that very moment.
Apart from me there was only two others that knew that we did not have a Moari culture group for the first night of the convention.
One of these, was a lady who I knew that was hosting the ladies meeting. Where the Maori Anglican minister was speaking.
So I text her the words the Lord gave me. She texted me straight back, saying that the Maori Anglican minister had just spoken the same words. As I texted her, in the Maori language.
She knew this, as she was Maori and understood the language.
So she said “I will ask her if she would be willing to help with the evening event”.
The Anglican minister said yes and over the next 3 hours she put together a full culture group, out of the ones at the convention.
She taught them all the words, practised with them and did rehearsal with them.
As I entered the banquet room that night before the meeting. The Lord spoke to me again.
He said “Do you know that the lady who is putting together the cultural group. Can also do the offical Maori welcoming (pōwhiri ). So I approach her, then asked her and she said yes.
So His word to have a cultural group that honoured Him from a moari perspective, also welcomed people with the native language of Aotearoa into the opening banquet meeting of the FGBMFI convention (pōwhiri ). Then to combine both and celebrate Jesus without cultural divide. When this happened there was hardly a dry eye in the room. Thank you Kerry-Anne (the Maori Anglican Minister ) for all you, your remarkable team did ,on that night and also Ariana Levi (the lady I text, who ask Kerri Anne) for both your parts. In seeing His word come to pass on that evening.
As you can clearly see what the Lord said would happen, happened.
But on the journey towards it happening, there was times where it totally seemed it would not happen.
Here is our second key for today for living with true discernment.
Stay true to His word and path, He has put in-front of you. Then listen for any instructions from Him, on the journey. Towards the words becoming to completion.
I think thats enough for today,
Next time we’re gonna look at Jesus journey. Towards the words, that the Father gave him, being fulfilled. Also what other obstacles He faced on this journey.
Challenge Time
Last week your challenge was to spend extended time with the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In this time you were to listen more than speak. It was not about action, But learning to hear Him more.
This week I would like you to look at what He said and you wrote down.
- Take every word He said or picture, vision and scripture you received from Him. Hold each one at a time up to Him. Ask Him what to do next. Say a prayer like. Father You reveal to me …………………………(say one of the things on your list). What do you want me to do ? Now write down what He says, as precisely as you can. Now repeat this process with everything on your list.
- Now take one thing each He has ask you to do. Then simply obey and Trust Him as you do it.
- Don’t worry if it does not work out the way you thought it . As you have done your part, now let the Lord do His.
- Each night spend some time with Him giving Him Thanks.
Father I ASK, as Your children come to You and ask for directions on how to proceed. With the words, pictures, visions and scriptures, You have given them. Would You speak to them, in absolute clarity and led their path. As according to Proverb 3:6 amen.
For those of you, who want to place an offering at the alter or plant a finical seed in the fertile ground of the Lord. Maybe you could contribute in someway towards His House, we are currently building. To equip the saints for ministry, then release His word through them, in a variety of ways.
Below is a link to a secure website, so you can do this safely online.
https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=87bf3759-ef4a-4ae2-ac5d-902b82587e44
Or our bank account details for New Zealand memebers,
Encounter Centre – 03-0481-0007448-000
If you require a receipt for tax purposes please email to info@encounterministries.org.nz
Craig Patten
Founding Pastor/Prophet
Encounter Centre & Ministries