Discernment is a quality of the Spirit, it is not just having an opinion. Many of us now know and believe that we are in the last days — many now know that God is pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh and thus ushering in new wine. Many now know He is doing a new thing, unlike something we’ve ever known before. Many also know that in these days things will happen that will fool even the elect if that were possible, so many know that it is vital to be discerning in these days.

A lot of this knowing however is in our heads. We’ve heard it so many times in all sorts of Christian circles, so we’ve accepted that it is going on. Accepting that this is going on and accepting the idea that we need to walk in discernment however does not mean we are equipped and enabled to actually do so.

I have observed recently all sorts of attempts at discernment and believe the Lord is leading me to release this to help equip the church.

The truth is there is only one way to be discerning — and that’s through the Spirit of God.

Discernment is of the Spirit. Having said that, I want to say that it is very possible to do something that is totally in the flesh and yet incorrectly call it discernment. I’ve seen it and it is misleading and ultimately destructive if you stick to its path.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will bring revelation, so that if this is you in any way or form, your eyes will see and you will be able to move past the flesh, die to it and receive the authentic gift of discernment.

There are basically two ways the Lord has shown me that we might function in the flesh and think we are being discerning.

One is ... we decide that because this is the time when God is sending new wine, which obviously means it will be unlike what we are familiar with, and in fact might even challenge what we’ve understood of the Bible so far, (just like Jesus healed on the Sabbath day, causing all the Pharisees to think He was being un-scriptural and not of God), and since we desperately do not want to be a Pharisee today, we let down our guard to such an extent that we let in what is false. We will call a whole bunch of things God (things possibly done in Jesus’ name), just because they are new and seem good, or maybe even seem bad but we are being “tolerant” and “changing with the times.”

This is not discernment. This is a type of ‘thinking’ that we’ve chosen to adopt based upon all the information we’ve learned through all the books we’ve been reading and all the teachings we’ve heard talking about these end days and how we need to embrace the new wine. Discernment is not a quality of rational thinking or emotionalism.

Second is … the flip side of the coin. We are most concerned that these are the days when even the elect will be deceived if that were possible and so caution will be our motto. We will view every new thing through glasses of suspicion. This has a double negative effect, because firstly we are not challenging our old ways of thinking and believing and so past partial understanding becomes present deception, and we are calling things that are really of God not of God because we are suspicious. We go around voicing our suspicion, negatively labeling people and movements and ideas, thinking we are being discerning, but it is all based upon a flesh decision we have made to be cautious in this hour.

If we are doing either one of these things, we need to stop and check ourselves right now. Read that again, invite the Holy Spirit in and in His presence read it again.

The thing is … continuing to walk in the flesh will lead to death. I don’t say this to frighten anyone. God never ever cautions to frighten — He cautions to set free. You know this already. So if you are in the flesh and God is telling you that, trust Him and don’t tarry in taking this to Him right away.

Do something like this … confess to Him that you are lost when it comes to discernment. Tell Him you’ve been calling something of your flesh discernment, but you really know that you are walking in either liberalism or caution and suspicion, both the result of the thinking of your rational mind. Let Him know that He has taught you that the flesh profits nothing and even what is sensible to the flesh cannot birth something of His Spirit and you now understand that. Then surrender your mind (rational thinking) and your heart (emotionalism, caution, suspicion) to Him and be willing to die to it totally. Ask Him in sincerity for true discernment from His Spirit to yours. I guarantee you, if you do this sincerely, truly seeking Him and His Kingdom, He will answer. It is His promise that if you seek Him, you will find Him. He will become one with your spirit. He will fill that place of rational thinking and emotionalism with Himself, with real spiritual discernment and you will begin to see the Kingdom.

I pray that Holy Spirit will guide you, that you will be willing and that you will be blessed of God. Amen.

Cheryl Johnson

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